Four by Four
by ReidsGirl18
Summary: Paige, an old friend of the Sons returns to Ipswich bringing along her three new friends. A new evil lurks nearby threating the entire group. The Sons aren't the only ones with secrets..or powers.PP/OC, CD/OC, TS/OC, RG/OC. R
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Paige, a childhood friend of the Sons returns to Ipswich bringing along three new friends. A new threat lurks in the shadows, not only being a threat to the Sons but also to Paige and her friends.

* * *

Chapter 1

"Seriously, Mom, this whole welcome back party is a little lame, don't you think?" Reid said bluntly, standing in the large kitchen.

"Oh, nonsense sweetie. Why can't you be excited like the other boys? They can't wait to see Paige again," his mother, Demi replied with a smile on her face.

It had been nearly five years since his mother had seen her best friend Kassandra, he could understand why she was so anxious to see her and her daughter Paige. Paige had grown up with the other boys, so to them she was like a sister. But when she was 13, her mother was offered a promotion in Los Angeles, California, so they moved West.

Tyler, being the closest to her, was thrilled to see her. Reid on the other hand had never taken a liking to her. As a young boy, he didn't the idea of having a girl in the group, and the older they got the more he didn't like it. Not that he hated Paige or anything, she just rubbed him the wrong way.

"I can't believe she is coming back home!" Tyler's voice rang, waking him out of his daze.

"Could you be any more gay, Ty? It's not _that _big of a deal," Reid said, looking over at his best friend. He crossed his arms over his chest in irritation.

"Shut up man, just because you don't like the idea of her coming back doesn't mean the rest of us can't be happy about it," Tyler retorted with a scowl, his blue eyes glaring.

Reid held his hands up in surrender. Tyler was right. He didn't like that she was coming back. He had gotten so used to it just being the guys for five years, and by her returning meant that it wouldn't be that way anymore. He frowned just thinking about it.

Shaking his head of those unpleasant thoughts, Reid left the kitchen leaving Tyler to help his mom. He walked through the tiled foyer and was halfway up the stairs when the front door flung open. Reid turned to see Pogue Parry with his motorcycle helmet in hand walking into his home, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Dude!" Pogue yelled when he spotted Reid. "Can you believe Paige is coming back home tonight?"

Reid practically growled; he was getting sick and tired of hearing that name so much in one day.

"Why the hell is everyone so damn excited about seeing her? She's just a chick," he replied, getting more annoyed with each passing second.

"She is not just a chick, Reid," Pogue answered, scowling. The guys never really caught on that Reid had disliked her so much, they just thought he was being the jerk he always was to girls… unless he wanted something.

"Whatever man," was his only retort as he climbed the rest of the stairs to his bedroom.

* * *

Nearly two hours later, Demi Garwin shouted up the stairs to her son. Her voice carried, the excitement she felt.

"Reid, get down here!" she called enthusiastically from the foyer. "The Elliot's will be here any moment!"

_Oh joy, _he thought bitterly as he shut off his T.V.

Pulling his fingerless gloves onto his hands, he made his way down the stairs. As he walked into the living room he saw that the Simms' family, Caleb and his mother, Pogue and his father, and his own mother talking excitedly. Demi glanced out the window every few seconds as to not miss the arrival of her best friend.

Reid made his way over to his friends, greeting them with a nod of his head which they returned before carrying on with their conversation.

"What do you think she looks like now?" Tyler asked curiously looking around at the guys. His brown shaggy hair hung on his forehead inches above his excited azure eyes.

Caleb was the first to answer. "I bet she's just as cute. Of course taller and-"

The sound of a doorbell ringing broke his sentence. Everyone went silent with anticipation. All they could hear was the click, click of Mrs. Garwin's heels in a hurried race to the front door. After a few seconds of silence they heard squeals of joy and laughter coming from the foyer. The rest who stood in the living room looked around at each other in amusement.

Demi returned to the living room with two other women at her side. On her right was unmistakably Demi's best friend, Kassandra Elliot, her long dark hair curled softly and blue eyes sparkled with tears as she looked around the room seeing familiar faces. On Mrs. Garwin's left stood a blonde with bright blue eyes, looking a little nervous.

The silence was broken as Tyler yelled, "Peanut!" and ran towards Paige nearly knocking her over as his arms wrapped around her. Laughter erupted throughout the room making Paige blush. Except for the Sons of Ipswich, No one had ever heard her nickname Tyler had given her when was she six.

Tyler pulled away from the blonde reluctantly as the other boys came up to greet her. A huge smile appeared on Paige's face. She half expected the boy to have forgotten about her, but here they were running towards her like maniacs.

Caleb picked her up and spun her around like he did when they were kids. Pogue was next in line. Slyly, he held up his hand waiting to see if she remembered their handshake. Sure enough she grinned as she brought her hand up to Pogue's and hands started flying.

Giggling, Paige's gaze fell on Reid and her smile faltered. She knew Reid had never really liked her as a kid but she didn't really have a problem with him. Though her actions said differently.

"Hey Reid, you're still wearing those ridiculous gloves?" she taunted. Knowing that he would have a smartass comeback, she braced herself.

Reid stared, taking in her appearance. She looked amazing. Her black and white strapless dress clung nicely to her slim frame. Her blonde hair fell just below her collar bone, her blue eyes sparkled as they gazed into his own. He could feel a smile start to tug at his lips but stopped himself knowing he was being watched by his friends and family.

His reply was short and jumbled. "Yeah, uhh…how's it going, Paige?"

Paige's mouth fell open, slightly shocked at his short, non-smartass response.

It shocked Reid as well. What the hell had just come over him? He had no smartass remark to say back. He never had been at a loss for words. Shrugging it off, he walked over to greet Mrs. Elliot as everyone started to talk amongst themselves.

"My, my look how you have grown, Paige. You have become a beautiful young woman," Terrance Simms said, pulling her into a warm embrace. "The boys are very glad to have you back."

"Thank you, Mr. Simms. I'm so glad to be back myself. I missed the guys a lot." Paige looked over at her childhood friends. She really had missed them, and she prayed to the high Heavens that her new and old friends would get along.

"Your mother tells me that you will have three friends from Los Angeles joining you for the school year," Mrs. Simms said with a kind smile. "And please you know to call us Terrance and Madison."

"Sorry," Paige giggled. "But yeah my friends are actually coming tomorrow afternoon. Their flight lands at eleven-thirty I think. They're really excited to go to Spenser with me. Now I finally have girls to hang out with around here."

Her gaze wandered the room, taking in everything. The rest of the parents were catching up, chatting about old times with Mrs. Elliot. Paige smiled to herself, glad that her mom was back with the people that she loved so dearly. Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler were sitting on a large plush couch listening to the funny stories the adults were telling. They laughed full-heartedly, occasionally glancing over at Paige with smiling faces.

She was so happy to be back, happy her mother was happy. Happy the guys were happy that she was back. _Well at least three of them are. Reid's acting strange. Maybe he's not the smart-ass, conceited, cocky boy I used to know. Well I'll find out soon enough, _Paige thought, her eyes on the blonde boy.

* * *

Soon after leaving the Garwin's Manor, Paige pulled up to her new home in her blue 2007 Mazda RX8. Her mother stepped out of the passenger side still talking about how nice it was to be back in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Together, they walked through the front door, where dozens of cardboard boxes were stacked along the walls. They had moved back in only days ago, yet most of their belongings hadn't been unpacked. Kassandra had taken off work for the next week so she could make their house a home.

"Good night," Paige said, kissing her mother tenderly on the cheek before making her way up the stairs and to her room. Unlike most of the rooms in the house, Paige had made sure to unpack her own things and set up her room. Her bed was made, pictures and knickknacks covered the walls. The dresser drawers were already full of her clothes and belongings.

Paige stopped at one picture in a silver frame that sat on her nightstand. A smile found her lips as she touched the four young faces of the Sons of Ipswich.

Thinking about the events of the day, Paige changed out of her dress and into a pair of grey sweatpants and a sports bra. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she climbed into her comfy king sized bed and snuggled under the covers.

_Damn the boys got hott! The girls are going to love going to Spenser, _she slightly, she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly before drifting into a slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Shh! God Blake you're such a klutz!" River giggled as three girls stumbled into Paige's room. Thankfully, the noise did not wake Paige from her deep sleep.

The second girl, Blake pressed a finger to her lips as she slowly got up from the floor where she had fallen. Rylee, the youngest of the three, strolled up to the front of Paige's bed.

"Let's wake her up shall we?" Rylee whispered with a mischievous grin.

All three girls quietly took hold of the end of their best friend's comforter and yanked it quickly from the bed. Paige, who was clutching the covers, shot straight up looking around madly for the culprits.

"What the fuck-," she yelled angrily. Her attitude changed within seconds as three blurry figures came into view at the end of her bed. River Daniels, Blake Thomas, and Rylee Brooks stood before her, grinning.

River put on an innocent face and pointing to the girls next to her as if to say 'it was them!'. Her long black hair fell onto her face as she tried to contain her laughter. Before Paige could react to the intrusion, the three girls jumped onto the mattress, tackled her off the bed and burst into a fit of high pitched giggles.

"Guys what are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here for another," Paige paused to glance at the clock, "four hours!"

"It was a surprise!" Rylee explained excitedly. Her short brown hair flopped around as she jumped back up, holding her hand out to Paige.

"It's freakin' seven in the morning, Rylee. Couldn't the surprise have waited maybe another hour or two?" She joked, allowing Rylee to pull her off the ground.

"Hey, it was your mom's idea so take it up with her," Blake chimed in as she got off the floor and moved around to sit on the bed.

Mrs. Elliot walked into the room a few minutes later and smiled at seeing her daughter laughing and talking animatedly with her friends. "How about some breakfast ladies? Bacon and pancakes are waiting in the kitchen for you hot off the stove."

Paige's mother flattened herself against the wall as the four girls raced to the door, pushing and shoving each other out of the room towards the delicious smell wafting through the large house.

Paige was the last one down the stairs trailing behind her friends. A grin appeared on her lips as the iris of her eyes changed from blue to a light pink. She vanished from the back of the group and reappeared in the kitchen, smiling innocently as her friends glided into the room, her eyes back to their normal color.

"Nice move Elliot, but you cheated!" River scolded seeing her friend with a full plate of pancakes and bacon in front of her.

"What?" Paige shrugged innocently with a mouth full of food.

River shook her head with a sigh as she helped herself to the delicious breakfast, the other girls followed suit and joined Paige at the table.

"So how about after this we go take our stuff to the dorms and meet those friends of yours who you haven't stopped talking about?" Blake requested as she took a bite of syrup covered pancakes.

"Well ladies the guys have actually invited all of us to Nicky's tonight," Paige replied cheerfully. "They can't wait to meet you, as you guys were all I could talk about yesterday."

"What's Nicky's?" Blake, River and Rylee asked in unison.

* * *

After following the directions Caleb had given her, Paige pulled into the parking lot of Nicky's later that night.

Blake slid out of the passenger seat wearing a pair of faded jeans, a fitted blue tank top, and her gray converse with her dark brown hair curled. She grinned at Paige who wore Paige a jean mini skirt, a white long sleeved shirt and her black converse on her small feet. Her straight blonde hair fell in her face as she turned back to the car to let Rylee and River out of the back.

Both girls dressed similar to Blake but wore dark jeans with a cute tank top, Rylee's green and River's black. River, being the shortest of the group, decided to wear a pair of heels that added three inches to her height.

Linking arms, the four girls walked in the front doors of the popular hangout for students of Spenser and other surrounding schools. Paige glanced around the bar looking for the Sons of Ipswich, the beat of the music vibrated within her chest.

"Come on, over there," she pointed to the furthest corner from where they stood. They made their way to the back table occupied by two gorgeous guys, one with short dark hair and the other with long blonde hair. They both smiled at the girls arrival.

"Hey Paige," the dark haired one said, greeting her with a hug. The other guy smiled then looked around at the other girls. His haze landed on the tallest girl with interest.

"Hey fellas, these are my best friends from Los Angeles. This is River Daniels," Paige said, pointing to the dark haired girl on her left. "Rylee Brooks." she looked to her right as the bubbly brunette waved. "And this is Blake Thomas."

"It's nice to meet you," Caleb said politely, shaking each of the girls hands.

"Hey," Pogue yelled, eyes still locked on Blake.

Paige rolled her eyes inwardly. She should have expected the guys to think her friends were hot.

"So," Pogue started as Blake sat next to him. "How did you guys meet?"

"Well to make a long story short, Miss Elliot here came to our school and because she was new, got picked on by some snobby bitches. I stepped in, we took her under our wings and here we are." Blake explained, checking out Pogue openly.

"Where are the other guys?" Paige asked, making Pogue tear his gaze from her friend. Pogue pointed to the other side of the room where Paige spotted Tyler and Reid playing a game of pool with two other guys. One looked one oddly familiar but she couldn't place who he was.

Paige grabbed a hold of Rylee and dragged her over to meet them, Blake and River followed closely behind.

Tyler glanced up from where he stood while Reid bent down to take his shot. "Pea-," Paige flung herself at Tyler and threw her hand over his mouth before he could finish what he was saying. His sudden outburst made Reid miss his shot causing him to curse furiously.

Paige glared at him then turned back to Tyler. "Ty, I want you to meet Rylee, Blake and River," she said pointing to each girl in turn.

"Hi," he said shyly.

Reid, not being so shy, walked over to the girls with a smirk. "Garwin, Reid Garwin."

"Who do you think you are? James Bond?" River laughed slightly at his attempt to impress them. This remark made the others laugh madly. Reid shot a death glare at Tyler who shrugged his shoulders in response and continued to chuckle.

Ignoring the comment, Reid turned to the guy standing next to him. "Alright, Abbott. Let's just get this game over with so I can take your money."

But Aaron Abbott's attention was no longer on the game. He was now staring at Paige with hungry eyes. "Well, well look who it is."

_Shit. I thought I recognized him. _Paige groaned inwardly as Aaron sauntered up to her and put his hands on her waist.

"Gee, still the slime ball I used to know five years ago, huh, Abbot?" Paige said ferociously, moving out of his clutches.

"Come on, Paige you know you want me…just like you did back then." His eyes roamed all over her body, making Paige cringe in disgust.

"I was young, stupid, and had bad taste. Get over yourself," She responded, sending everyone to the ground in laughter, even Reid gave a small chuckle. Out of anger Aaron grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her close to him.

"That wasn't a very nice thing to say," he said before slamming his lips roughly onto hers. Cat calls and whistles were heard throughout the bar as Paige attempted to wiggle out of his grasp. After a few moments she successfully freed herself.

SMACK! Aaron stumbled back a bit, surprised at what just happened. He could practically feel a welt form as he rubbed his cheek. She was stronger than he would have guessed her to be.

"You bitch." He growled as he raced toward Paige, bringing his hand back. Bracing herself, she closed her eyes tightly, but his fist never came in contact with her. She opened her eyes to see the back of Reid Garwin, who now had Aaron pinned to the floor with his arm twisted behind his back.

When Reid let go, the owner of the bar rushed over witnessing everything that had happened and started yelling at Aaron and his friends to get out of his bar. Reid glanced over at Paige, clearly shocked at his own behavior. Their eyes only met for a brief second before he walked out himself.

She stood still, stunned. Sure, she expected one of the guys to come to her rescue but definitely not Reid. _Well that was odd._


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

The car ride home was nearly silent. The only sounds were the soft hum from the radio and the crackle of electricity coming from the back seat, making the head lights of the car flicker off and on.

"Stop it, Rylee," Paige demanded. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she saw that iris's of Rylee's eyes now glowed yellow-gold. "What if someone sees you? How would you explain that one? 'Oh, I'm sorry officer but when I was thirteen I got struck by lightening in this bizarre storm and now I can create and control electricity'."

She turned her gaze back to the road, missing the eye rolls from Rylee and Blake. A soft chuckle drifted to her from the back making Paige turn around to glare.

"Don't encourage her!" She scolded Blake, who continued to laugh. "She's almost been caught TWO times now!"

"Oh can it, Paige," Blake snapped. "Do you not remember that little stunt you pulled this morning? Teleporting into the kitchen?"

River sat quietly in the passenger seat, singing softly along with the radio. She was used to the bickering that broke out occasionally, so anytime a fight would start, she would ignore it unless it got too heated.

"That's different and you know it, we weren't in public then," Paige defended herself, biting her lip in attempt to calm her irritation.

"Remember when we first got our powers?" River asked randomly with a small smile. The other girls stopped fighting to look at her as if she were mad but then smiled at the memory.

_**Flashback**__  
"Who's ready for some camping?" Paige asked excitedly. Her three new friends climbed into the tent that was pitched in her backyard, giggling. _

_Only minutes went by before a large gust of wind hit the tent causing it to collapse on the girls. Four shrill screams echoed through night as they panicked. Soon, Rylee found her way out and looked at the sky, her mouth fell open in astonishment. _

_Paige, Blake and River crawled out behind her, all in stunned shock as they followed Rylee's gaze. The sky, that only moments ago was the color of clear blue, was now a dark shade of red and gray, as if the sun were blazing fire. They stared, eyes shone in disbelief, as they winds picked up and it the skies opened, pouring rain. The girls screamed and raced inside just in time as thunder rolled loudly. _

"_I've never seen the sky like that!" Blake said, pressing her face against the glass door. "It's kind of cool."_

_Paige nodded in agreement, and reached up to her throat and gasped._

"_What's wrong?" River asked, turning to face the blonde._

"_My necklace! Its gone!" Paige panicked, her hands ran madly over her neck while she searched again._

"_It's okay, we can get it when the storm clears up-," Rylee said, glancing back out the door where the storm still raved wildly._

"_No!" Paige shouted, tears forming in her blue eyes. "I have to find it now! My father gave it to me before he died! I don't know what I would do if I lost it..." _

_Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and she stood hugging her herself._

_Blake caught River's eye and nodded. "Okay let's go find it but let's be quick," she said before rushing out of the house and back into the storm._

_Once outside Rylee, Paige, River, and Blake went back to the tent, their feet sinking into the mud as they retraced their steps searching for the lost necklace. Thunder rumbled and lightening light the sky._

"_What does it look like again?" Rylee yelled over the deafening wind, sobbing wet hair flying as she spun on the spot. _

"_It's a silver chain with angels wings," Paige shouted back as she crawled on her hands and knees around the fallen tent. Blake and River were to her left while Rylee bumped into from the right. Then all together, the girls spotted the silver necklace lying inches from them._

"_Found it!" They shouted in unison, grabbing the necklace at the same time. _

_At that moment, the thunder rumbled and an earsplitting crack echoed across the sky as a single bolt of white lightening shot down and struck their adjoining hands. Screams were heard over the roar of the storm as they were thrown back several feet, knocked unconscious._

* * *

_The girls had woken up after the storm nearly unharmed, except for a shallow cut on the palm of each of their hands. Everyone had been perplexed at the survival of the four girls, all whom had been struck by lightening._

"_It's a miracle that you all survived," the doctor had told them. "It's very rare to live after something like that and only come out with only a cut…" _

_After many medical tests to make sure everything was internally okay, the doctor had told them that, as strange as it was, they would be fine. Though as the girls had left the office, and even though they were told they would be fine, to them, something felt different, almost unnatural._

_When the weekend finally arrived, leaving behind it a gruesome week of school. That Friday, the girls had girls had planned on taking a real camping trip. _

_Hours before they had to leave with Blake's dad, Rylee plugged in her hair dryer, and as she did, it sparked and shocked her, making her stumble away. _

"_Ow!" She glanced down at her throbbing fingers to find a small orb of electricity floating just centimeters from her palm. In alarm, she shook her hand to rid it of her, causing the tiny silver ball to crash into the mirror, shattering it. With a yell of surprise, Rylee ran to the mirror and attempted to clean up the mess. She caught her reflection in a piece of broken glass, and gasped. In the shard of glass she saw that the iris of her eyes were no longer blue but were now a glowing golden-yellow. _

"_Guys!" she yelled into the other room where River, Blake and Paige were. "Something weird is happening!" _

_**End flashback**_

"Oh God!" Blake thought back at the memory and tried to catch her breath from laughing so hard. "Your face was priceless when we opened the bathroom door."

"Oh yeah it was hilarious," Rylee replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Well, at least I didn't end up naked or almost blow up Paige like some people I know…"

_**Flashback**_

"_So what? Do you have like magical powers or something?" Blake asked Rylee curiously as they set up the tent in the woods, only yards from where her dad had set up his tent. _

"_I guess so," she said slowly, "It's just…bizarre. I mean I've heard of powers and witchcraft and stuff but I never thought it was real, you know?" She sighed and flopped down next to the small fire that Blake's dad, Craig Thomas had built for them. "_

_And now look at me!" she continued. "I can make electricity and orb thingies come out of my hands!" Accidentally and as if it were on cue, a small golf ball-sized orb flew through the woods. She threw her hands to her side as if to glue them there. "Whoops."_

"_Yeah, you need to work on that," Paige said matter-of-factly, watching the orb disappear into the fading light of the Spring day. "Wait. Does that mean the rest of us will get powers, too?"_

_Before anyone could answer, they heard the rustling of leaves and a low feral growl. River spun around and gasped in fear as her gaze landed on a small, snarling wolf. She was too afraid to look away, and as the small wolf's eyes bore into her own, she felt a tingle in her body._

_Suddenly, the wolf took off with it's tails between its legs as if something had frightened it. River looked over her shoulder at her friends and opened her mouth to speak, but when she did no words came out. Instead, soft barks and whimpers replaced her speech._

"_River,…you're a," Blake stuttered, eyes wide with shock, "…a wolf!" _

_Confused and frightened, River looked down to see large gray paws. Seconds later, she somehow returned to her human form and she ran towards her friends. "What just happened?" she asked, voice shaking. But her Blake, Paige and Rylee wouldn't look at her. "What?"_

"_Um, you're naked," Paige said, laughing a little._

_River glanced down, and she let out a little shriek. "Ah! What happened to my clothes?"_

_Rylee scrambled into the tent and grabbed River another set of clothes while Paige stepped forward with excitement._

"_I think you can morph into animals!" Paige informed as River shimmied into the clothes that Rylee had brought her. "And Rylee obviously can somehow control electricity or something."_

"_Wait a second!" Blake shouted. "So Rylee and River now have some kind of special ability? This isn't fair! What about us?" She threw her hands up in anger and the small fire that sat next to her suddenly grow six feet taller. _

_Paige, who stood closer to the growing fire, screamed as she was engulfed behind the flames._

"_Paige!" Rylee cried out, running to where she had last seen Paige after the large flames died down; Paige was no where in sight. _

"_Oh my God!" a panicked voice came from somewhere directly overhead. "How did I get up here?"_

_They looked up to see Paige sitting on a thick branch in a large tree right above them. "I was there a millisecond ago and now I'm here," she continued, pointing to the ground below her. "What is wrong with us?"_

"_I can teleport!" Paige explained excitedly. She gasped and pointed to Blake. "It was your fault the fire grew! We all have powers!"_

_Blake's mouth fell open as she stared at her hands. "How is this possible?"_

* * *

"Well, that sure was an eventful night," Blake said while getting out of the car and heading up the front steps.

"It sure was," Rylee agreed looking over at Paige. "I thought you said Reid never really liked you?"

"He doesn't, I mean didn't," She huffed. "Hell I don't know anymore." Paige was confused about how Reid had acted, and he had left before she had a chance to say thank him, or say anything for that matter.

River could see the confusion on her face so she quickly changed the subject. "So …is Caleb seeing anyone?"

Paige stopped dead in her tracks causing Rylee collide with her back.

"Sounds to me like you're interested," Paige teased, glancing over at her friend as she starting to walk again. "No, he isn't seeing anyone. He was dating some girl named Sarah Wenham last semester but she transferred back to her old school for some reason." Paige quietly unlocked the front door and ushered the others inside. Continuing in a whisper, she added," Caleb said it was because of some big incident that happened on his birthday was why they broke up."

"That's not cool," River said sympathetically but smiled to herself inside. "Pogue was totally checking you out, Blake. He couldn't keep his eyes off you."

"Yes, he is single, too," Paige said before Blake had even opened her mouth.

"Good cause I call dibs on him!" Blake gave a quiet squeal of joy as the four walked up the stairs to the second floor and into Paige's bedroom.

"I call Caleb!" River whispered excitedly, pulling off her shoes.

"Well good cause I want Tyler," Rylee said with a grin.

"What no!" Paige yelled nearly slamming the door shut behind her. "That leaves me with Reid! You all know he has loathed me for, oh I don't know… since birth!"

"Calm down," River said, smirking. "And I didn't say anything about Reid."

Ignoring her, Paige changed out of her clothes, climbed into bed and closed her eyes. Tomorrow was their first day of school. It was the start of their new life in Ipswich.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

"You bitch."

Reid's anger elevated to new levels as he watched Aaron approach Paige, fist raised. Before he knew it he had Aaron pinned face down on the ground with an arm twisted painfully behind his back.

Nicky, the bar owner, rushed over to tell Aaron that he needed to leave his bar. After letting Aaron off the floor Reid glanced at Paige, she looked a bit taken aback, her blue eyes wide. Not knowing what to say, Reid swiftly walked out of the bar and into the side alley that sat along one side of the bar.

What had come over him? The feeling that had raced through his body was foreign to him. Reid shook his head as the word formed, dangling just on the edge of his mind. Clenching his jaw tight, he pushed off the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets. He wanted to go back inside and enjoy himself, maybe make some more money at pool but he couldn't make his feet move. He couldn't face any of them with an explanation of what he had done. Sure it had been a good thing he did, but out of character for him.

Reid sighed and leaned back against the wall, letting his mind ponder of the feeling he had felt only minutes ago.

A half an hour passed before he heard the sounds of familiar voices. He peeked around the corner to see seven figures walking toward the cars. Paige was trailing behind, glancing around behind her in search for someone.

"Looking for someone?" Caleb asked, seeing Paige's wandering eyes.

"Yeah, Reid actually," she answered turning to Caleb. "Tell him….um….tell him I said thanks."

From where he was hidden, Reid half-smiled hearing the appreciation in Paige's voice. A car engine roared to life and Reid had to press himself against the wall as headlights swept close to his hiding spot. He felt childish but he didn't want to see Paige right now. He didn't want to explain why he came to her rescue, because he honestly didn't know the reason himself.

After watching the red taillights disappear into the darkness, Reid stepped out of the side street and walked to the parking lot to where Caleb, Pogue, and Tyler were standing.

"Hey, hey! Looks like the Tin Man has a heart after all," Pogue bantered, spotting his approaching blonde friend.

"Fuck you, man," Reid said holding up his fingerless gloved middle finger.

"What was that all about, dude?" Tyler questioned, an eyebrow slightly raised. He was caught off guard with the way his best friend had came to Paige's rescue. Reid was always a jerk to her and only thirty minutes ago he acted like her knight in shining armor.

"Well what did you expect, Tyler? Did you want me to let that son of a bitch hit her?" Reid snapped irritably. He tried to make it sound as if he had no other choice but to rescue her, that he did it because he _had_ to.

"No of course not," Tyler mumbled, slightly hurt at his friend's outburst.

The Sons of Ipswich piled silently into Tyler's black Hummer. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. So Pogue, not liking these kind of moments, quickly thought of something to talk about.

His thoughts landed on the new girls they had met that night. "Paige's new friends are pretty cute, huh? And they're cool as hell."

"Blake so wants you man," Tyler told Pogue who knowingly smiled. After the Aaron incident, Blake had found and talked to him for the rest of the night. And when the girls decided leave, she walked with him out to the parking lot.

The ride was short and full of conversations that were mostly about the girls. Reid kept quiet, speaking very little which was not normal.

_He must have a lot on his mind,_ Caleb thought as Tyler pulled into his driveway and climbed from the car. "See you tomorrow guys."

* * *

The girls woke early the next morning to the sound of beeping coming from the alarm clock.

Slowly but surely Paige, Rylee, Blake, and River started getting ready for their first day of school at Spenser Academy. All of them were a little nervous about attending a new school, but they tried not to show it.

"The only bad thing about going to this school is these damn uniforms," River said, staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror. "We all look like Britney Spears in her old days."

"Yeah, well at least we look hott!" Rylee said with a laugh.

"Wow, Rylee, that didn't sound at all conceited," Paige sarcastically implied rolling her eyes. She glanced at the clock. 7:00 a.m. "We should leave now so we can go get our class schedules."

The girls nodded in agreement, grabbed what they needed and followed Paige from the room. Paige called to her mom who was somewhere in the large house then went out to her car.

Only after a fifteen minute drive, the four girls arrived at the student parking lot in front of Spenser Academy.

"Hey isn't that Tyler's car right there?" Blake asked, pointing to a black Hummer a few spots away. Their question was answered as Tyler Simms and Reid Garwin stepped out of the car.

Reid spotted the girls, looked away quickly then walked right past them into the front doors of the large school. Confused, the four girls turned to Tyler, who merely shrugged and shook his head. "He's been acting strange since yesterday."

* * *

Tyler showed the girls where to find the main office, so they could get their schedules, then hung out in the hallway a little before they had to go to their classes.

Blake and Caleb shared English together and they walked to their class after saying bye to the rest of the gang. Tyler, Reid, Pogue and Rylee had history together and headed their own way, leaving River and Paige to go to their math class together.

Walking into the room, Paige noticed that they were one of the first few to arrive. They made their way around the room and took two seats that sat farthest from the teachers desk. Paige grinned and glanced at River as the teacher walked in and started writing complicated math equations on the board. River met her gaze and frowned.

_Great_, Paige heard River's voice in her head as clear as her own thoughts. _This is gonna suck_.

Paige laughed and probably looked crazy because River had not said the words out loud. She had used telepathy, another power they had received weeks after the storm.

_**Flashback**_

"_So what do you guys think of this outfit?" River asked the three girls waiting outside of her dressing room. There was a huge party that weekend and River demanded that she needed a new outfit for the occasion. _

"_Great!" Blake said out loud. But it'd look better on me, she thought._

"_What?" River turned to Blake in disbelief._

"_I didn't say anything." _

"_Yes you did! You said that it would look better on you!" River stared at her friend, waiting for an explanation. _

_Blake's mouth fell open. How did she know that? She thought, I didn't say it out loud._

_Hearing the words her friend never spoken, a hand flew up to Rylee's mouth in realization. "We can read your mind!"_

_**End Flashback**_

As the minutes passed by, other students started pouring into the classroom. Among those students was none other than Aaron Abbott himself.

"Oh, this is my lucky day," Paige said, sighing in annoyance.

A huge smirk appeared on his face as he noticed the girl. He sauntered his way over and took a seat right next to them.

"Hello ladies," he greeted, the smirk still large on his face.

"Go jump off a cliff," River said in response.

"Harsh words coming from such a pretty mouth," he said licking his lips seductively.

"Ew," The girls replied in unison, wiping the smirk right off Aaron's face.

Nearly an hour had passed before the bell finally rung, the girls rushed past Aaron and quickly out of the class to find their other friends. Walking down the hallway, they spotted Caleb near the lunch room talking to one of the teachers.

"Hey guys, how was your first class?" Caleb asked once the girls were by him. The teacher smiled before returning to his classroom.

"Not too bad. But luckily for us Abbott graced us with his presence," River said with fake enthusiasm giving Caleb a small smile.

Caleb frowned slightly at the news. The minute bell sounded causing him to jump slightly. "Well I'm off to chemistry, see you guys later."

"Oh! Me too!" River said excitedly and joined him, leaving Paige by herself. Rolling her eyes, she turned and walked off to her next class.

She arrived at her second period just as the final bell rang. She sighed in relief. Finding an empty seat in the auditorium style room, she set her bag down and pulled out her notebook with a pen.

Someone caught her eye and she looked up to see Reid hovering over her. "Mind if I sit here?"

"No, go ahead," she replied as he sat down.

The teacher walked in at that moment and started telling his students about his eventful weekend. Paige hesitated before tearing a sheet of paper from her notebook. She pushed the paper in front of Reid.

_Hey, thank you for helping with the whole Aaron thing last night__. _

Reid peeked at Paige from the corner of his eye. She wasn't looking at him. So he took his pen and wrote back. _Don't mention it. I wasn't just going to sit back and watch him hit you. You're my friend__._

This made Paige snort with laughter causing Reid and some other students to stare. _This is news to me. Since when have you ever treated me like a friend, Reid?_

He paused, thinking about what to write. _You have a point there. _

Paige looked up to see a genuine smile on his lips, which was a rare sight coming form Reid Garwin. She smiled back before turning to the front of the class, writing down what the teacher had written on the board. She smiled to herself, realizing that her and Reid Garwin had just become friends.

* * *

When the third bell had rung, Paige and Reid walked out of the second class they shared and together they made their way toward the lunch room.

As they walked, Paige noticed many girls glaring at her which could have easily burned a hole right through her. "Um, is it just me or is every girl in this school going to jump me at any moment?"

"Looks like Reid found his slut of the week," some said as she passed a group of girls.

Paige stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around and noticed a snobby red head glaring at her from the center of a small group of girls.

"Excuse me?" Paige asked walking straight up to the girl, getting inches from her face. "You got a problem?"

Laughing, the girl walked away, leaving Paige pissed off and confused. Turning around to Reid quickly, she raised an eyebrow in question.

"That would be the bitch of the school, Kira Snider," he answered. "And it looks like you have made an amazing first impression on her."

"What the hell did I do to her?"

"You are talking to Reid," Tyler explained, suddenly appearing next to them. He had just walked out of his own classroom with Caleb and heard the whole thing. "How do I say this…Reid is considered the Hugh Hefner of the school."

Paige tilted her head to Reid who merely shrugged, not denying the statement. She shook her head and walked past him, heading toward the lunch room. Entering the room she saw that it was completely different than the one in California, and unlike her old school cafeteria, it was small, with circular tables and windows set high in the wall. The sun filtered weakly through the glass, and the chatter of was loud in the confined space.

At one of the tables, sat Rylee and Blake so Paige made her way to them.

"Hey Paige!" Rylee greeted as Paige took a seat next to them. "How is your day so far?"

"Interesting," She replied, stealing a piece of French fries from Blake's plate. "Aaron is in two of my classes, Reid and I are now friends, and I already have an arch enemy who hates me because Reid and I are friends." She explained everything, ignoring the many comments the girls gave, and when Reid, Tyler, Caleb and Pogue appeared, their conversation stopped.

"Well I'm off to class early, I heard its hell trying to find a good seat in history." Blake said, getting up from her seat.

"My class is right next to yours so I'll walk with you," Pogue offered, giving the others a slight nod before placing a hand on Blake's back, leading her from the cafeteria.

"Pogue has math with me next," Caleb informed the others, amused.

"So?" River asked slowly.

"The classes are on complete opposite sides of the school."

* * *

"Thanks for walking me to class," Blake said once she stood in front of her classroom and faced Pogue. "And I know that your class is on the other side of the school," she finished, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek before walking into her class.

Pogue couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from her delicate form as she walked into the room. As Blake situated herself in her seat, she glanced at the doorway and smile back at Pogue, seeing him staring.

The minute bell rang for the fourth time that day, quickly bringing Pogue back to his senses. It took three minutes to get to the other side of the school. Realizing his dilemma he glanced around to see if anyone was in the hallway. Luckily, everyone was already in class.

Pogue's eyes bled black before disappearing and reappearing in a janitors closet near his own class.

He opened the door cautiously and was thankful once again that no one was around. He stepped out of the closet, and walked swiftly into his math class just as the final bell rung.

He saw that Caleb saved him a seat and winded his way over. Caleb looked at his smirking friend. "She kissed you didn't she?" He asked, already half knowing the answer.

"Just on the cheek, but hey, its still a kiss," Pogue said happily.

"Dude, she likes you. River told me that she hasn't stopped talking about you since last night. Even though its only been a day man, she's into you."

"Seriously? She is really cool," Pogue rambled on subconsciously about her for half the class before Caleb finally held up his hand to stop him.

"You do realize that you have been talking about Blake for the past….25 minutes right?"

"Sorry man," Pogue said with a grin. He couldn't get his mind of the beautiful girl that had caught his eye at their first meeting.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

The bell rang for the last time that day and students poured from the classrooms and into the main hallways of the school. Some went to their lockers and others walked to the parking lot to their cars, but many headed to the dorm building across campus.

"Hey Ty!" Paige yelled. Tyler slowed down his pace until she had caught up with him.

"Hey, Peanut. How was your first day at Spenser?"

"Alright. But it seemed to last forever," she said with a dramatic face making Tyler laugh.

"Yeah, the first day always does but it will get better," he promised.

"Well, I'm off to find the girls. Any idea where they are?"

"Not all of them but I did see Pogue and Blake walking to the dorm building together," Tyler informed her.

"Oh, great. And I was worried about you guys getting along," She replied, rolling her eyes. "All the girls called dibs on you guys last night."

"Really? Are you serious? Who did Rylee pick?" Tyler asked quickly, his eyes growing wider in anticipation.

"Whoa, settle down Ty!" Paige giggled. "Well, that wouldn't be fair to my girls if I told you." She paused, watching Tyler for a reaction. He frowned a little as he looked at Paige. "But, since you are my best guy friend…" She leaned in closer to him, inches from his ear and whispered. "Rylee picked you."

Paige sauntered away to the dorms and spun around to look at Tyler who was staring after her, blushing furiously.

She turned back around, opened the doors and proceeded to her and River's dorm room on the second floor. Paige walked up the stairs and down the hallway, stopping in front of room 211 as she dug in her bag for her keys.

Finding them after a few moments, she unlocked the door and stepped into her room, closing the door behind her. She set her bag down on her desk and walked over to her twin bed and curled on top of her blue comforter. Just as she closed her eyes for a nap the door flew open and in walked River, Rylee, and Blake.

"Blake kissed Pogue," Rylee said in a sing-song voice.

Paige sat straight up from her where she lay. "What?"

"Relax. It was just on the cheek," Blake explained. "I was just thanking him for walking me to class after lunch."

"Just be careful with him Blake, you still haven't fully controlled your powers. And the last thing we need is Pogue and them finding out about it," River reprimanded.

"That reminds me," Paige cut off Blake before she could say anything back. "Are we still on for training tonight?"

"Yeah," Rylee answered for them.

_Flashback_

"_Rylee someone is here to see you," her mom, Lola said, peeking her head in her daughter's room._

"_Who is it?" _

"_An older man, he says he wants to speak to you about something that happened at school."_

"_I didn't do anything," Rylee said right away._

_Lola looked at her daughter, amused. "He is waiting in the living room for you."_

_When Rylee arrived in the living room, she saw the man. His dark hair was streaked with gray and his eyes were dark. He smiled as he noticed Rylee. _

"_Hi," Rylee said. "you must be…" _

"_Kevin," the man answered, holding his hand out to the 13-year old. _

"_My mom said you needed to speak with me?" She questioned politely, shaking Kevin's outstretched hand. "Are you from my school?"_

"_No, I'm not." A smile was on his face, tight lipped but kind. He was silent for a few more moments. "Well there is no point to beat around the bush Miss Brooks, so I'm going to cut to the chase." When Kevin spoke his voice was with a low and raspy. "I am here because a few weeks ago there was a black out at your school, and I know you were the cause of it…I know of your powers."_

_Rylee's heart sputtered in her chest. No one knew about her and her friends powers expect their parents. How did he know?_

"_I'm sorry sir, but I don't know what you are talking about," she said as convincingly as she could._

"_I think it would be best if you did not lie, Miss Brooks," Kevin said, a serious tone now in his voice. Rylee nodded her head in understanding. "Now, I know you and your friends acquired certain powers and abilities."_

"_How do you-" Her heart now beat faster._

"_I know this," Kevin interrupted. "because I am a Keeper of Prophecies. I, along with a handful of others, can foretell what is to come. And a year ago a prophecy was made…it spoke of four girls receiving powers strong enough to destroy a great evil that has been lurking in the shadows for many years. Four girls who can get rid of this evil for good."_

_Rylee let the words sink in. "Wait. So you are saying that the four girls who are supposed to destroy this…this evil are me and my friends?"_

"_Yes," Kevin said simply. "No one but the Keepers of Prophecies know about you. That is until recently. Information has been leaked and now Demon, a powerful warlock, knows of your existence and also about the prophecy involving you. He will try all he can to stop the prophecy from coming true. But he will not be able to locate or harm any of you until your 18__th__ birthday because you are the youngest." _

"_Not that I'm complaining or anything, but why 18? Why can't he come find us now?" she asked with a nervous laugh._

"_There was a protection charm that was placed when you and your friends received your powers, but it only lasts until you come of age, until your powers are fully matured."_

_If this information was said to any other teenager Rylee's age, they would have taken it as a joke, a prank. But once Rylee found out that she had powers, she believed that anything was possible._

"_This is your destiny, Rylee. Starting now, you and your friends will need to train and learn to control your powers. But when you turn 18 you will no longer be safe here. You will need to get as far away from here as possible."_

* * *

_After several long hours of discussion and arguing, Rylee's, Paige's, Blake's and River's parents decided that they should stay in Los Angeles until they were seventeen. When that time came they would move to Ipswich, Massachusetts with Paige and her mother. They arranged it that way so they would be harder to find if anyone went looking for them. _

_End Flashback_

It was nearly midnight when Paige had teleported each of the girls in turn to the cliff at the Dells.

They would have come earlier but they didn't want to chance getting caught. So they waited until midnight knowing that no one would be out, especially on a school night.

"How did you find out about this place?" River asked Blake.

"Pogue told me about it. He said that they used to have parties here all the time, but since that kid died no one has really set foot here. So I thought that this would be the perfect place to practice."

"I used to come up here with the guys when we were younger. Mostly at night to look at the stars," Paige said smiling at the happy memory. Shaking her head she turned to the girls who were giggling at her. "Sorry."

"Let's get started shall we? How about we work with Blake and Rylee tonight, since me and Paige have more control over our powers," River said, quickly becoming leader.

"Yes mam!" Rylee held up her hand in mock salutation. Marching away from Blake, she stopped several yards from her friend and turned to face her.

River turned on the portable stereo she had brought and put in their favorite CD they usually trained to. "Stand My Ground" by Within Temptation sounded loudly on the cliff of the Dells. The song lyrics fit them and their cause perfectly.

_I Can See, When You Stay Low Nothing Happens Does It Feel Right? _

_Late At Night Things I Thought I'd Put Behind Me Haunt My Mind_

_I Just Know There's No Escape Now Once It Sets It's Eyes On You  
But I Wont Run, Have To Stare It In The Eyes_

Blake dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small blue lighter. The flame flickered in the breeze as Blake held her hand above the small fire, making it grow. She pulled her hand from the lighter and the flame danced in her palm.

_Stand My Ground I Won't Give In, No More Denying _

_I've Gotta Face It, Won't Close My Eyes And Hide The Truth Inside  
If I Don't Make It, Someone Else Will Stand My Ground _

A mischievous grin graced her lips as she started to play with it. Blake looked at Rylee who was tossing a ball of electricity from one hand to the other. "You ready?"

_It's All Around Getting Stronger, Coming Closer Into My World  
I Can Feel That It's Time For Me To Face It, Can I Take It?  
Though This Might Just Be The Ending Of The Life I Held So Dear  
But I Won't Run There's No Turning Back From Here _

Rylee threw a ball of electricity as a reply, sending another one closely behind the first. Blake dodged them with practiced skill and sent her ball of flame right to Rylee with incredible speed. Rylee dove out of the way just in time as the flame flew by her then diminished.

Paige and River found a small log to sit and pulled out a bag of popcorn, watching Blake and Rylee duel it out, occasionally shouting out helpful tactics.

Two hours passed before Paige stood up to turn off the stereo, signaling the fight to end.

"Alright guys, good practice tonight." Paige approached the panting duo and handed them each a bottle of water. They smiled appreciatively and gladly took the water bottles, emptying them in one or two gulps.

"That was exhausting," Blake gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Well you're really learning how to control your power, I'm proud of you," River said warmly. "Rylee you need to work on your speed and quickness, but over all I think you're doing great."

Rylee and Blake smiled in thanks.

"Oops. I think I hit Blake once or twice," Rylee said glancing down at her friend's arm which had a shallow cut that was bleeding slightly.

Blake shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, it will be almost healed by the end of tomorrow."

When the girls established their powers they also received added strength and healed faster than a normal human would. So if they got a bruise or a cut it would be gone within 24 hours.

"Okay, it's already past two in the morning and we have class so lets call it a night and head back to the dorms." Paige walked to Blake, grabbed her hand and held it tightly. She teleported from the Dells, returned a few seconds later to get Rylee and disappeared for the second time and then reappeared for the last time to take River back to their room.

* * *

Seven o' clock came way too fast for Blake and Rylee's liking. Getting up sluggishly from their beds, they both grabbed their shower things and heading for the bathroom down the hall.

"Hey, how are you guys feeling?" a voice asked, coming from behind them. They turned to see a wide awake Paige carrying two cups of coffee. Paige was usually the first one to wake up out of the four girls, always being a morning person.

"Like shit," Rylee mumbled. "I forgot how much that takes out of me." Blake nodded in agreement, trying to stifle a yawn. Paige smiled sympathetically then allowed the girls to continue their quest to the showers.

An hour later, Rylee dragged her feet zombie-like into her first class and made her way over to Tyler, Reid, and Pogue.

"Damn Brooks, you look like shit." Reid said, receiving an incredulous stare from Pogue. Tyler slapped him over the head.

"Ouch!"

"Gosh Garwin, you really know how to make a girl feel good," Rylee said sardonically as she too her seat.

"I have other ways I can make you feel good," he replied with a wink.

Tyler glared at Reid, Pogue punched Reid on the arm, and Rylee's jawed dropped in shock. Luckily for Reid's sake, the teacher walked in and asked everyone to take there seats so he could begin his lesson.

* * *

Blake walked into her English class with three minutes to spare. She pulled our her notebook and laid her head down on her desk, sighing heavily.

She heard a scuffle of wood on tile then a deep voice say, "Rough night?"

Blake lifted her head and looked into the concerned eyes of Caleb Danvers. "You could say that. I didn't get much sleep last night, I was up late trai….trying to sleep." _Oops. That was a close one, _she thought.

Caleb seemed to think nothing of it as he smiled and dug in his own bag to find his notebook.

"So, Grant Banks is throwing a huge party." He noticed Blake's confused expression. "He's on the swim team with me and the guys. It's this Friday. You and the girls should come with us."

"Pogue's gonna be there," he added slyly, glancing at Blake from the corner of his eye.

Blake couldn't help but grin broadly. "I'll talk to the girls."


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

Friday arrived, and River and Paige joined Rylee and Blake in their dorm room to get ready for the night's party. They were all finished getting dressed and were now adding last minute touches to their hair and makeup.

Rylee, who was ready ten minutes ago, sat on the bed waiting for the other girls to finish. She was wearing her low rise Chip&Pepper jeans, a fitted white t-shirt and her black converse shoes. Her hair was straight and she wore her black flat bill.

"Come on! The guys are waiting for us," Rylee said.

"Okay, okay. I'm done," Paige said as she applied lip gloss to her lips. Paige wore her holey light faded jeans, and like Rylee, she had chosen a v-neck t-shirt, light blue, and Paige's revealed her midriff. She put her blonde hair in a high ponytail letting some hair fall in her face. Her angel wing necklace hung loosely around her neck.

Blake had changed her outfit four times before finally settling on a jean skirt to show off her long legs. Her brown hair was let down and once again curled, hanging over her bare shoulders and onto her red halter shirt. "I'm ready too."

They all stared at River, waiting for her to finish straightening her long dark hair.

Paige's phone rang loudly. She looked at the caller id seeing that it was Caleb calling.

"Hey Caleb." A muffled voice was heard on the other line. "Oh okay, that's fine. We will meet you guys there then. Sorry its taking so long but we have to look good." Paige spoke into the phone, smiling. "See you there," She said before hanging up the phone.

"That was Caleb, he said that the guys got antsy because we were taking so long so they headed to the party. We're gonna meet them there."

"Well, lets not keep them waiting any longer." River grinned at her best friends after getting done with her hair, taking one last look in the mirror at her appearance. She wore her fitted dark denim jeans and a light green tank top. The color complemented her black hair and tan complexion.

* * *

The drive to the party was short and non-eventful. It was nearing 11 p.m. by the time they arrived, the party was in full swing. They parked and walked up to the large mansion styled house. Opening the door they noticed that the house was even bigger on the inside, the cathedral ceilings rose 15 feet above the foyer.

"Hey ladies," a voice came from their left. They looked over to see Reid Garwin waltzing up to them, beer in hand. "The rest of the guys are this way." He grabbed Paige's hand an led them to the living room where it seemed the majority of the people were. In the middle of the room was a large are full of dancing boys and girls grinding on each other.

"You girls want a drink?" Reid looked around at the four of them.

"Smirnoff?" Blake and Paige asked together. It was the girls favorite drink cause of it's fruity flavor.

"I'll have a Vodka and Coke," River grinned.

"Alright and for you?" Reid asked Rylee. She just shook her head, pointing to herself. "Designated Driver."

He nodded his head in understanding and then pulled Paige away to the kitchen after showing the other girls where to find the Sons.

"You guys look awesome," Caleb complimented as he saw the girls approaching. "Looks like the wait was worth it." His eyes went to River.

Paige and Reid returned with the drinks and handed River her vodka and coke and then handed Blake one of the two Smirnoff bottles.

The dancing bodies on the dance floor only paused when the songs switched. "Sexy" by Shawn Desman blared loudly through the speakers.

River squealed in excitement and ran toward the mock dance floor, leaving behind a confused Caleb who was in mid-conversation with her. He looked around at the other girls with an eyebrow raised for an explanation. Rylee, Blake and Paige ignored Caleb's questioning stare and watched in amusement as their friend ran to the dance floor.

"Guys, come on!" River yelled eagerly at her three best friends once she made it to the middle of the floor.

"Here we go," Rylee said rolling her eyes but never the less made her way with Blake and Paige to where River. Caleb was not the only one confused now as all four guys watched Blake, Paige, and Rylee join their friend.

Blake grabbed hands with River and rolled down her body to the beat of the music then rolled back up. Rylee turned to Paige, slinging her arms around her waist swaying her hips in sync with her friends.

River whispered something into Blake's ear and both strutted from the dance floor and walked straight up to Caleb and Pogue, grinning broadly. Without a word the girls took the guys hands and led them away to dance. Caleb looked slightly taken aback when River started grinded her hips against his, but he quickly gained his composure.

Pogue, without hesitation, put his hand across Blake's stomach as she brought one arm up to hang around his neck.

Reid watched Paige move her body with talent. Not being able to resist any longer, he walked toward her and placed his hand on her hips pulling her closer to him. She smiled in response and turned around to face him saying, "Wow. Who knew Garwin could dance?"

Reid made no reply but he grabbed her arms and slung them around his neck so that they were dancing face to face staring each other in the eye.

Tyler fought his nerves as he made his way to the floor of dancing people, his eyes locked on Rylee. She noticed him approaching and gave him a come hither look. When Tyler was in front of her she turned away from him, bringing her back to his chest, rolling her hips against his.

The four couples danced skillfully with each other as the song went on only resting for a moment when the song changed to "Whatever You Like" by Nicole Sherzinger and continued to move to the music.

Reid and Paige left the dancing couples after the third song to get some fresh air outside. "I didn't know you guys could dance like that," Reid said with a smirk on his face pointing to the dance floor.

"Yeah well there's a lot you don't know about us," Paige replied, looking at him then out into the yard.

He smiled, not catching the double meaning in her words. "You want another drink?"

Paige nodded her head as Reid grabbed her hand in his and led her back inside.

"Wait I have to pee, I'll come find you after you get the drinks," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek then left his side to find the bathroom.

Reid smiled inwardly before walking off to get more drinks for himself and Paige. After Paige had found the bathroom and relieved herself, she walked back into the hallway in search of Reid Garwin.

"Hey."

Paige spun around to see Aaron Abbott standing in front of her with his cocky smirk no where to be seen.

"What do you want Abbott?" Paige snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I've acted and especially for how I acted at Nicky's," he said. "And I know that I don't deserve this but I would love to take you out to dinner sometime."

Paige was speechless for a few long moments. When she finally finding the words, Paige smiled sweetly. "That's very big of you to apologize to me, Aaron. But I'm gonna have to say no to the date. Thanks for the offer though." She finished with a kiss on his cheek.

"Yo, Aaron!" someone yelled, he smiled at Paige before going over to his friend.

"What the hell was that about?"

Paige turned and now looked into the eyes of an angry Reid Garwin. "What are you talking about, I-"

"What am I talking about? Hmm…let's see, you kissed the guy that nearly man handled you last weekend!" His voice shook with anger.

"Since when do you care who I kiss?" Paige didn't know where his hostility was coming from but it was pissing her off.

"I don't," he snarled with cold eyes.

"Well then, I guess you wouldn't mind if I did this." She walked away from Reid and over to where Aaron was. She stopped right in front of Aaron, grabbed his shirt and planted a tight lipped kiss right on his mouth.

Pulling away from him, she glanced over at Reid then back at Aaron. "Pick me up at 8 tomorrow," Paige said before walking over to Reid, grabbing her drink and chugging it down. She handed the empty bottle back to him, still glaring and went into the living room to find her friends.

Reid stared after her in disbelief. So many emotions ran through his body as he walked past the living room and out into the back yard to the bonfire. He was surprised to find Caleb, Tyler, River and Rylee sitting on a log close to the flames.

"Hey Reid," Rylee smiled looking around expecting to see Paige near by. "Where's Paige?"

"How the hell should I know?" he snapped at the younger girl.

"Reid what did you do?" Caleb asked accusingly.

"I didn't do anything! It was all her!" Reid yelled defensively.

River and Rylee stood up quickly. "We'll find her."

The girls walked away from the three boys and back into the house to find Paige. After several minutes of searching, they found her sitting in the living room on the couch with a cup in hand, a large scowl on her face.

"Paige, what happened?" River asked concerned. She reached for the cup but Paige pulled away and drank what remained from it.

"Reid! That's what happened!" She slurred as she stood up and swayed on the spot. Paige explained what had gone on with Reid, Aaron, Reid getting pissed, the kiss and the date with Aaron.

"Wait! Hold up Paige, you are going on a date with Abbott?" Rylee asked. Paige nodded her head, eyes glazed. "You know Reid only got pissed because he got jealous and because he _likes _you!" Rylee explained putting more emphasis on the word like.

"What? No, he doesn't he just hates Aaron so much that… that…" Paige shook her head. "Reid doesn't like me like that."

Rylee and River rolled their eyes. "Well it didn't look that way on the dance floor, but what do I know," River quickly blurted.

"Can we just go home now?" Paige asked sharply, throwing the empty plastic cup on the floor.

"Yeah let's find Blake. Where is she anyways?" River asked, her gaze scanning the room. She spotted her friend dancing with her back to Pogue's chest. River laughed as she made her way over to the couple, informing them that Paige wanted to leave and the reason why.

Pogue nodded and grabbed hold of Blake's hand and led her to Rylee and Paige.

"You ready?" Blake asked. Paige nodded and hugged Pogue goodbye.

"Tell the other guys we said bye." Blake said as she gave Pogue a kiss on the cheek and walked out the door to Paige's car.

* * *

"The girls say bye," Pogue said as he walked up to the guys who were still standing near the bonfire. He turned to Reid and crossed his arms over his chest. "Man did you have to freak out on her like that?"

"Dude! She kissed the guy who nearly rearranged her face!" Reid protested angrily.

"Aaron apologized to her." Pogue said. "You know that he, like you, never apologizes to anyone. She just told him that it was big of him to apologize and he asked her on a date. Paige said no. Then you freaked out and didn't let her explain, that's why she kissed him. That's why she agreed to the date. Because you pissed her off."

Before Reid could reply, he felt a cold chill go down his spine, like someone was Using. "Did you feel that?" He asked urgently.

Caleb, Pogue, and Tyler looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Their eyes met.

"Well it wasn't just the wind so let's keep our guard up," Caleb said. The other three nodded in agreement.

"I'm ready to get out of here when you are," Tyler said a few moments later. He turned from the fire and walked back into the house followed by Reid and Pogue.

Caleb hesitated as he slowly gazed the back yard. His dark eyes locked on the woods a hundred yards away from him. Seeming satisfied for the moment that he was safe, Caleb turned his back to the fire and the woods and joined his friends.

* * *

"I still can't believe you're going out with him," River said with her arms crossed. She moved from the bathroom doorway to the bed and plopped, studying her best friend in her straight legged jeans and blue halter shirt.

"Well, Aaron's downstairs," Paige said, ignoring the comment. "I'm off. See you later."

She walked to the door but before she opened it, River's voice stopped her. "Be careful, Paige."

Paige raised a single eyebrow and twisted the doorknob in her hand. "I think I can handle him," she replied with a wink. The door shut behind with a soft click and she was off to meet Aaron who waited at on the main floor of the dorm building. The stairwell was eerie and dark, the only light came from overhead lights that cast a soft glow on the steps.

"Hey, Aaron," she called once he was within sight.

He looked her up and down, clearly satisfied with her choice in her outfit. "Damn you look hott."

Paige's steps faltered as she drew closer to him and took in his smirk and hungry gaze. _What the hell am I thinking? This is Aaron!_

"Are you ready to go?" he continued, opening the door for her. The late summer breeze blew into the building, lifting Paige's hair from her shoulder. A picture of Reid flashed through her mind and all doubt was wiped away and replaced with a rush of irritation. She lifted her chin high and stepped through the doors.

"Yep," she said.

The drive to the restaurant was decent, full of polite chatter and an occasional laugh or smile. Paige couldn't help but think that maybe, Aaron wasn't such a bad guy after all. But it all took a twist when they sat down for dinner in a crowded restaurant.

As she should have expected, all Aaron could talk about was himself. Any time Paige would open her mouth she was rudely interrupted.

Halfway through the dinner, Paige couldn't stand it any longer. She found the telepathy link she shared with River, Rylee and Blake. _Help me._

Blake was the first to respond. Her voice was clear and amused. _That bad, huh?_

_Yeah it's that bad, _Paige thought back_. All he is talking about is himself. I want to leave. _

Rylee giggled. _That sucks. Tell him your not feeling well. _

Paige felt a pang of annoyance at her friends obvious humor with her dilemma. _Oh. Yeah Rylee this is hilarious. I'll be back soon. _

"Hey," Paige said, interrupting Aaron. She sat up straighter and leaned across the table to be heard. "I'm not feeling good, can you take me home?"

Aaron looked at her for a few moments, then shrugged. "Sure," he said, looking around fro the waitress. After paying for the check the pair made their way to the parking lot.

On the drive back to the school, Paige couldn't help but notice the sudden change in Aaron's persona. Only minutes ago he had been talking incessantly about himself, and now he was being oddly quite.

"That was..." Paige stopped and cleared her throat. "Well, see you on Monday." She leaned over to open the door but found that it was locked. She tried again. When it didn't open the second time, she turned to Aaron.

"Aaron, unlock the door."

A smirk was on his face as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Why? I thought you had a good time tonight?"

"Are you serious?" She laughed once, harshly. "Were we at the same date?"

His eyes raked over Paige's body before he unexpectedly grabbed the back of her neck, bringing his lips to hers in an open mouth kiss.

Paige shoved him away, nearly throwing him into the driver's door. "What the hell, Abbot?" She wiped angrily at her mouth. "I thought you learned your lesson and that's why you apologized!"

"Come on, Paige. You really believed that act?" He said with a laugh before grabbing Paige again, forcing her into another kiss.

"GET OFF!" She yelled. Before Aaron knew it, Paige's fist came flying towards his face. Aaron quickly grasped his nose as his eyes began to water. She threw open the door, nearly taking it off its hinges, then slammed it shut causing the glass in the window to shatter.

"You stupid bitch!" Aaron mumbled through his blood covered hands.

"Get the hell out of here," Paige said in a low warning.

Aaron glared heatedly then peeled out of the parking lot as Paige stormed away toward her dorm.

"God, how could I have been so stupid!" She yelled, scolding herself. In her anger, she kicked the nearby trash can, sending it flying a few feet. As her foot landed back on the ground, her heel caught the uneven pavement and she tumbled to the ground.

"Stupid me! Stupid heels!" Paige fumed. She grabbed her heel and launched it across the grounds. A dull thud was heard as she shoe collided with something.

"Ow!" came a muffled voice.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

Paige stood up, quickly spotting the dark outline of a person lurking in the trees. "Who's there?" she called as the figure moved slowly towards her.

"Reid!" Paige yelled in irritation and relief. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The blonde Son of Ipswich rubbed the side of his head with one hand, in the other was Paige's shoe. "Would you believe me if I said I was taking a walk?"

She shook her head. "What are you really doing here, Garwin?"

Reid stopped in front of her and handed the shoe to her. "I was…I was waiting for you."

"Why? So you could hear me say that you were right about Aaron?" Paige snapped. She could feel her anger swell as Reid shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Well you were right, Reid. He didn't really mean his apology. It was all an act and I found that out after he tried to take advantage of me."

"He what?" Reid tensed with his own anger. "I'm gonna fucking kill him!"

"There's no need," Paige said with a shrug. "I already broke his nose and busted a window in his car."

Reid's anger quickly turned to amusement. A smiled pulled at his lips. "You broke his nose?"

"Yep," she said, unable to keep from smiling at Reid's surprised look. "I think it's safe to say that Aaron finally learned his lesson."

"Hey. I just wanted to say I'm sorry about how I acted last night." Reid spoke in a low voice but his eyes were sincere. "And unlike Aaron, I actually mean it. It's none of my business who you kiss."

"Did I just get an apology from Reid Garwin?" she teased making Reid's blue eyes narrow. "Okay, I'm sorry. And you're right, it is none of your business."

Silently, they walked toward the dorm building. The night air was comforting as Paige put on foot in front of the other. A contentedness settled over her, even with her company being Reid. The two had only become friends a little over a week ago but it felt like it had been years. She peeked over at him from the corner of her eye and smiled. His gaze was forward but his face was relaxed, as if he felt the same way that she did.

Feeling her stare, Reid turned looked over. "What?"

Paige just smiled and shook her head. "Nothing."

Silence fell once more, though not uncomfortable. When Paige stood in front of her dorm room door a few minutes later, she turned to him. "Well, good night."

"Do I get a goodnight kiss?" Reid asked, a smirk pulling at his lips. Paige gave him an _are you kidding me? _stare. "I take that as a no. Good night, Paige." He kissed her on the cheek and walked off toward the stairs that led up to the third floor.

Paige smiled to herself as she watched him, blushing slightly from his kiss. Just as Paige put her hand on the doorknob she heard a blood hurtling scream coming from inside the room. Without thinking, Paige kicked open the door and raced inside. Before her, River tossed fitfully in her sleep.

* * *

_Fog surrounded River as she stood in an unfamiliar area encircled by hundred of trees. Taking in her surroundings she felt another presence, an evil presence._

_A malevolent laugh echoed loudly through the air making her blood turn cold. River's heartbeat quickened as she squinted through the fog, carefully inspecting the woods around her. But as she called to her power, she found that she couldn't. Panic coursed through her._

"_You can not yield me," an eerie voice whispered in her ear. River spun around with a scream but there was no one._

_Her brown eyed gaze rapidly took in the dark forest in alarm, searching for the person she knew was out there. "Who's there?" _

_Hearing a branch snap, her head jerked to the left, then to the right when she heard rustling of leaves, but still she could see no one. Her heart was now pounding so loud that she was sure that anyone within a mile radius could hear._

_It was then that she noticed a figure lurking in the shadows several feet from her. Her heart stopped at the sight of a large man stepping out from the foggy darkness. He moved towards her with such speed that she had no time to react._

_River screamed in horror as a hand flew up to her throat, choking her. _

"_I know who you are," the man spoke softly, bringing his free hand up to caress her cheek. "I know you are one of the four who are prophesized to stop me. But I will not allow that to happen, you see. I will kill you, all of your friends and your family if you try to stop me." The man grabbed her chin roughly. "And tell your boyfriends that they need to be careful. I have taken a liking to them and their little covenant." _

"_I can't kill you now but I can make you suffer." His eyes shifting to a blood red as he tightened his grip, laughing as she struggled for air and tried to pry his hand from her neck. _

_Tears formed in her eyes as her vision started to fade. The laughing grew louder. "But the time will come when I end your life."_

"_River!" A distant voice yelled. "River, wake up!"_

River's eyes snapped open. Gulping, she let the cool air fill her lungs. Paige ran her hand over her friend's forehead pulling the sweat soaked hair from her face.

"River what happened? Was it a vision?" Paige asked gently.

"Demon. It was Demon," she replied softly with a quivering voice. "He-he found us." River then told Paige in detail what had happened in her nightmare, including the part about the Sons of Ipswich.

"What? Are you sure it was him? I mean, Kevin said that he wouldn't be able to locate us until we are all 18...Rylee isn't 18 yet." Paige spoke anxiously, pushing the statement about the Sons to the back of her mind.

"Well he did. We have to tell Kevin what had happened." River tried to stand up but Paige stopped her.

"Don't worry about that right now, you need to rest you look awful." She laughed weakly trying to lighten the mood. "I will go tomorrow and tell him everything."

River nodded sleepily before lying back down and closing her eyes. Paige watched her exhausted friend drift back to sleep.

Paige made a mental note to make a trip to Los Angeles tomorrow morning to speak with Kevin before undressing out of her date clothes and into her pajamas. She climbed into bed with the events of the night buzzing through her mind.

* * *

The next morning River woke up to find herself alone in the room. Groggily, she got up from bed and noticed a piece of paper laying on her nightstand.

_River, __I told Rylee and Blake about your nightmare last night and they both wanted to come with me to talk to Kevin. We wanted you to sleep more so we didn't wake you. Be back soon._

_Love, Paige_

Memories of her nightmare came flooding back. Wanting to clear her mind, she decided to take a jog. So she changed into some running shorts, pulled a gray hoodie over her green tank top. After pulling on her Nike running shoes, she grabbed her Ipod, Paige's car keys and the keys to the dorm room then headed out the door.

Fifteen minutes later, River pulled into the parking lot of a small park nearby campus and stepped out from the car. After stretching, she felt slightly better in the fresh air. When the music from the Ipod started to blare, she took off running at a slow pace.

Everything on her mind seemed to evaporate as the music took over her. She ran for almost two hours before walking back to the car and paused to take a long drink from her water bottle.

"River?" someone called from behind her, though still having her music playing loudly she heard nothing. The person tapped lightly on her shoulder.

River shouted in surprise and spun around coming face to face with Caleb Danvers. "Oh, Caleb," she said, clutching at her heart. "You scared the shit out of me."

"I'm sorry," Caleb apologized with a smile.

"It's okay. I'm just a little jumpy." She smiled back. _Ah, I don't even want to know how I look right now,_ she added to herself.

Caleb nodded in understanding. "Well, I was just out running some errands for my mom and I noticed Paige's car parked here, so I thought I'd see what she was up to. I was a little surprised when I saw you."

"Well sorry to disappoint you," she teased.

The dark haired Son of Ipswich grinned. "Well since you're here and I'm here, do you want to grab a bite to eat?"

"Yeah sure." River beamed then looked down at her attire. "How about dinner? I look awful right now and I have to meet the girls in a bit."

"It's a date then. Pick you up at 7." He smiled and turned back to his Mustang.

River watched him leave then jumped up and down excitedly before getting in Paige's car and speeding off to meet her friends.

* * *

"Hey guys." River greeted as she walked into Blake and Rylee's room. "What did you find out?"

"Well for starters, Demon found a loop hole in the protection charm that was placed on us. Apparently not being able to locate us doesn't include in our dreams and he just recently figured that out," Rylee explained with a frown.

"Kevin is going to look up any information on Pogue and the guys to see why Demon would have mentioned them," Blake added.

"And they said our families are safe but they are still keeping a watchful eye on them just incase," Paige said as she fidgeted with her angel winged necklace.

River sighed and ran a hand over her face. "Well we need to start preparing for your birthday, Ry. It's in less then two months and the more prepared we are the better chance we have of not dying and stopping Demon."

The other three nodded their heads. It should have been weird that they talked so easily about the possibility of dying, but after having the conversation so many times death seemed like a normal topic to them.

"But let's not worry about that tonight," River said. "because I have a date with Caleb and I need your help!"

"Finally!" Paige shouted. "It's about time, really."

As the afternoon went on, the four girls sat in their room talking, laughing, and watching movies. During one of the boring parts in the last movie, River suggested they play a game of Truth or Dare.

River tapped her chin as she thought of a dare for Blake. "Okay, the next time you see Pogue, I dare you to ask him out on a date."

"Easy," Blake said with a large grin. She turned to Paige who sat on her left.

"Okay, Paige truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"You wuss." Blake laughed as she played with her lighter. The fire grew and twisted into many different shapes and sizes as she manipulate the flames. "Hmm. So, what do you really think of Reid Garwin?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Paige scoffed. "I don't know why you think that I like him because I don't. I mean, he's so full of himself and…." Rylee, Blake and River stared at her with arched eyebrows. She felt herself cave under their knowing gaze. "Okay fine he is hott, sexy, I just want to-" Paige cut herself off, hearing a knock on the door.

Blake stood up to see who it was, putting her lighter away as she did. Her head snapped back to the girls as she opened up to door.

"Oh, hey guys! Come on in." She stepped aside, letting Pogue and Reid walk into the room.

Paige's cheeks flushed as Reid gave her a wink as he plopped down next to her.

"Hey, Blake can I talk to you….outside?" Pogue asked, almost shyly.

"Sure," she answered then followed him out into the hallway and closed the door behind them.

Rylee looked at Reid, expecting an answer. "He is asking her out on a date for tonight."

"So much for the dare," River said.

"Looks like he's not the only Son going on a date tonight." Rylee grinned, eyes on her dark haired friend.

"Caleb finally asked you out on a date, huh? It's about time he got laid." Reid said, making Paige swat him over the head. River turned a deep shade of pink.

"Ouch! What'd I say?" He asked innocently.

Just then, Blake and Pogue walked into the room, both grinning. Blake took sat back down next to Paige as Reid stood up to join Pogue.

"Later, girls," Reid said before walking out of the room. Pogue who couldn't help resist another glance at Blake as he followed Reid.

Blake jumped up, celebrating her excitement with a silly dance. River joined her, the two skipped around, humming a random tune happily.

"Two down, two to go!" Blake sang, giving Rive a high five.

* * *

Seven o' clock rolled around and both Blake and River waited anxiously for their dates. Moments later, a knock on the door announced the arrival of Pogue and Caleb.

Blake nearly leapt to the door. She greeted Caleb with a friendly huge then faced Pogue and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. She looked beautiful in a nice flowy cream dress that fell just above her knees.

"You look amazing," Pogue said, unable to take his eyes off of his date.

Caleb grinned as his gaze met River's. "You look great," he said, offering her his arm. "Ready to go?"

"Don't wait up for us," Blake said, winking at Paige and Rylee before taking Pogue's hand and walking out the door.

Together, Paige and Rylee rolled their eyes. "Movies and popcorn in my room?" Paige asked. Rylee nodded her head as Paige grabbed her hand and teleported them to her room.

The girls had barely settled down with their favorite movie Pirates of the Caribbean and a bowl full of popcorn the girls when Reid came barging through the door uninvited and unannounced.

"Uh. Knock much?" Rylee barked at him, throwing a piece of popcorn in his direction.

"Damn," he said with a frown. "I was half expecting you girls to be in skimpy lingerie having a pillow fight or something."

Paige threw a pillow which hit him square in the face. He pouted. "That wasn't very nice."

"Yeah, well you interrupted our movie," Paige replied with a smirk. She turned her gaze back to the T.V. and tried to ignore his presence.

"Whatever, you're coming with me." He walked over to where she stand and stood in front of her. "Come on let's go."

"I don't think so, Garwin. Move out of my way and let us get back to watching a hott Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom."

"I'm not taking no for an answer." With a swiftness that surprised Paige, Reid grabbed a hold of her arms, threw her over his shoulder and headed for the door.

"Put me down!" Paige yelled as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

"See you later, Rylee," Reid said, unfazed by Paige's attempts to get away. He waved a hand goodbye and he closed the door behind him leaving Rylee all alone.

"Oh no, go ahead, I'll be fine," Rylee said, speaking to the closed door. "But thanks for the invite." She sighed, turned off the T.V. and walked from the room and to her own.

* * *

After several minutes of discussion, the two couples decided to have dinner at a cute little Italian restaurant just outside of Ipswich. The waiter had set them at a table in the middle of the room. Around them dozens of families and other couples sat enjoying their own meals.

Pogue smiled at Blake who was concentrating on the menu before her. "What's good to eat here?" she asked.

"Everything is good here," Caleb said with a laugh. He pointed to one particular item on the menu. "This is my favorite though."

River leaned over to see what he was referring to. "Really? Chicken parmesan? I thought you were more of a steak and baked potato kind of guy."

"You've got a lot to learn about this one, River," Pogue said.

"Clearly." River grinned as the waiter came up to take their order.

An hour passed and River set her fork down on her nearly empty plate. She pulled her long dark hair into a loose ponytail. "So why do they call you the Sons of Ipswich?"

Pogue and Caleb exchanged a glance that went unnoticed by both girls. Caleb gave a little nod as Pogue opened his mouth to speak.

"Well our ancestors were original settlers of Ipswich in the 1600s. Our families were really close and we all grew up together," Pogue explained. "We're like brothers, really."

"People have called us that ever since we were little kids, so the name kind of stuck with us." Caleb added, taking the last bite of his favorite dish.

"That's some awesome family history," Blake said with a nod of her head. "You know, Sons of Ipswich kind of sounds like a boy band. "We already know you can dance. Do any of you sing?"

River and Caleb laughed loudly together, not caring that they gained the attention of a few other customers in the restaurant. Pogue, who was taking a drink from his cup at the time, choked, sending coke all over the table causing the group to practically howl in laughter.

* * *

Though it was well past dusk, Rylee sat on a bench near the lake on campus with her sketch book and pencil, drawing the dark landscape that lay in front of her. The only light was from street lamps placed every so often around the small body of water.

"You're a brave one," a voice said, causing her to look up in surprise. Tyler Simms was strolling up to her, hands deep in his pockets. Rylee smiled in greeting and patted the spot next to her.

Tyler took the seat and glanced over her shoulder at her work. "Wow, that's really good."

Thanks," Rylee grinned proudly. "Drawing's a huge hobby of mine."

"Well, you're really good at it," Tyler admired, blue eyes intent on her.

"Thanks," She said again. "What do you do for a hobby, Mr. Simms?"

"Swim. But I guess it's not really just _my_ hobby. Me and the guys, we're on the swim team together. It's really a group hobby." He scooted closer to her trying to do it slyly but Rylee felt his hand brush against her leg and felt her cheeks go warm.

"Don't you do anything that you just do?" Rylee asked, returning to her sketch book to distract herself.

"Not really no. Is that sad?" He asked, laughing. Rylee shook her head. "Where did you learn to draw?"

"I kind of just picked up a pencil one day and started to draw." She tucked a piece short hair behind her ear as she leaned over her drawing.

Slowly, she turned to face Tyler and just stared at him. After a few moments of them staring at each other in silence, Tyler broke it. "What?" He laughed, sounding a little uneasy.

"Can I draw your eyes? They're beautiful." Rylee blurted out not even thinking, making both of them blush furiously.

"Yeah, but only if you agree to go on a date with me." This made Rylee blush even more but she grinned widely and accepted his request with a kiss on the cheek.

An hour or so later, Tyler realized that it was already past 10:30. They had talked about everything and anything that came to mind and lost track of time. So together they made their way back to the dorms, walking close enough so that occasionally their hands brushed.

After parting ways on the second floor, Rylee adjusted her things in her arms so she reach for her keys in the pocket of her jeans.

"Hey Rylee," She heard Blake's voice call from behind her. "You just getting back too?"

She looked over to see River and Blake gliding dreamily down the hallway towards her. "Yeah. How was your dates?"

"Amazing!" River practically squealed.

"Pogue kissed me goodnight," Blake said in a dreamlike voice, a huge grin graced her face.

"Aw! Blake's in love!" Rylee teased as she unlocked her and Blake's door which just happened to be right next to River and Paige's room.

Blake stuck her tongue out at her best friend and went to follow her inside.

"Wait, Rylee. Where were you at?" River asked with interest.

"I was drawing by the lake…with Tyler," she said, pushing a giggling Blake into the room and shut the door.

River laughed and unlocked her door expecting to see Paige, but she was no where to be seen. Shrugging, River collected her bathroom things and headed off to the showers.

After a half an hour of showering and getting ready for the night, River climbed into bed and turned off the light.

She wondered where Paige was, since the clock now read 11:15 p.m. River was just about to reach for the connection she shared with the girls when she heard muffled voices on the other side of the door.

Being as curious as she was, she let the iris of her dark eyes turn a glowing green color as her keen hearing of a wolf kicked in.

"….sweet of you." She caught the last few words of Paige's sentence. "Goodnight, Reid."

There was a moments silence then all of a sudden there was a thud on the door and she heard Paige giggle.

A few moments later Paige opened the door and heard Reid's voice. "Good night, Paige."

The doorknob twisted and Paige stepped through, closing the door behind her quietly. River pretended to be asleep as Paige changed into her night clothes and crawled into bed. When her friend had gotten comfortable, River turned on her side. She was still using her wolf-like power so could see her blonde friend perfectly through the darkness of the room.

"Soo," River drug out slowly. Paige lifted her head only seeing two glowing green orbs that were River's eyes. "Did you kiss him?" River asked though she already knew the answer.

She could see Paige's mouth drop open. "You bitch. You were eavesdropping on me!" Paige laughed lightly, taking an extra pillow off her bed and launching it at her friend.

River easily dodged it. "I guess that's a yes. But if he hurts you, I will castrate him," she jokingly threatened, making Paige laugh.

"Goodnight, River."


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

"Reid!" Paige yelled as Reid threw her into the passenger seat and walked around to the driver's side. "Where the hell are you taking me?"

"Chill out," Reid said, not looking at the blonde sitting next to him.

Suddenly realizing she was sitting in the youngest Son's black Hummer, she asked, ""Why do you have Ty's car?"

"Baby boy went for a walk so I borrowed it. " He put the car in drive and pulled from the school's parking lot. A few moments passed before anyone spoke. Paige sighed and turned to Reid.

"Do I at least get a hint of where you're taking me?"

"Paige, stop asking questions. You will find out when we get there."

Paige crossed her arms, sat back in her seat and looked out the window. It was an unusually clear night in Ipswich, the stars shone brightly against the deep blue sky. As she took in the scenery they sped by, her heart started to race. She was nervous, scared and excited all at the same time. Reid was acting different than his usual smart ass self and it was kind of freaking her out.

After fifteen minutes of silence, Reid spoke quietly. "Okay, close your eyes we're almost there." He seemed a little nervous himself but was very good at hiding it behind his adorable smirk.

Hesitantly, Paige shut her eyes. It was another two or three minutes before she felt the car come to a stop and heard the car engine shut off. There was a slight breeze that drifted into the car as Reid opened his door then raced around to open hers.

"Give me your hand," he said, allowing Rae to lean on him as he helped her from the car. "No peeking," he whispered in her ear, covering her eyes with his fingerless gloved hands even though they were already closed.

With his help she only took a half a dozens steps until he removed his hands. Paige opened her eyes and her breath caught in her chest at the sight. Set out in front of her was a large dark brown blanket surrounded by a dozen candles. A single rose lay in the middle.

"Reid," she breathed, unable to say anything else. He didn't smile but his eyes were intently on her as he took her hand in his and led her to the blanket. She sat down in front of him with her legs crossed, waiting for him to speak.

When he did, he spoke in a low voice. "I know this is out of character for me, but I need to tell you something. When we were kids I didn't like the idea of having a girl in the group. At all, actually. I thought you were annoying and around too much. So when I heard you were coming back, all of that came back to me. To be honest, I didn't want you too."

"Wow, that makes me feel awesome," Paige uttered, trying to take her hands away from him. He didn't let go.

"I'm not done yet," he said. He took a deep breath. "I didn't want you to come back. But when I saw you something… I don't know, something changed."

Paige felt breathless, her heart fluttered lightly in her chest at Reid's next words. "I really like you, Paige."

He looked up into her blue eyes, waiting for a response. But all she could do was stare at him in disbelief.

"You know it would definitely help my nerves if you said something back," He said, laughed nervously. As Paige said nothing and continued to stare, Reid's nerves started to get the best of him. "Come on Paige, serio-," he started to say but was cut off by Paige's lips crashing onto his. He was caught off guard but quickly gained control.

Once broken apart, Paige was the first to speak. "It's about time, Garwin," She said, grinning from ear to ear.

Reid sighed in relief then fell back onto the blanket, pulling Paige with him. She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. At first it felt strange, after so long of thinking that he'd hated her, being here with him like this. But as they watched the stars and talked for hours, late into the night the rightness was there. Paige closed her eyes as she listened to him talk about nothing in particular. She could here the sound of his heart beat, the breath that went into and left his lungs.

Too soon, Reid started to sit up. "It's getting late," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We should probably head back." Paige nodded, pulling Reid up by the hand after she stood up herself. She nodded, pulling Reid up by the hand after she stood up herself.

The drive back to the Spenser's held little conversation for the first few minutes. After that the only sound came from the radio playing softly, but the silence was comfortable.

When they stopped in front of her dorm room, Paige turned to face Reid. "Thanks for tonight. That was really sweet of you," she said with a grin. "Good night, Reid."

Reid's lips found Paige's as he pushed her against the door. She giggled into the kiss then pulled away to look into his blue eyes. She gave him one light kiss then turned to open her door.

"Good night, Paige," he said before Paige closed the door.

* * *

The bell rung the next day, signaling that it was time for lunch and Reid and Paige made their way down the hallway. Neither mentioned the previous night, but they didn't really have to. The air around the felt different, almost electrified. Together, they got their lunch and joined their friends.

"Where did you disappear to last night with my car?" Tyler asked as Reid sat down at the table.

"Just went for a drive with Paige," he answered, giving Paige a swift wink that was unseen by any of the others. Paige grinned and glanced away from him, feeling her cheeks grow warm. When she looked back up Blake was staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

_Okay, Paige, what is going on? _she heard Blake's voice inside her head. Paige shook her head slightly.

_I will tell you later, _Paige told her, giving her a reassuring smile back.

Five minutes before the bell rang, Blake stood up. "I'm off to class. See you guys later." She kissed Pogue on the cheek and smiled at the others.

"Yeah me too," River said, getting up and caught up with Blake. She was shortly followed by Rylee and Tyler who walked closely together but did not touch. Reid got up as well but not before he gave Paige's leg a little squeeze under the table before he stood.

Pogue watched Blake leave before turning back to the table. He felt Paige and Caleb's gaze on him and when he looked up, they both stared, both smiled.

"What?" He asked, not liking the intent gaze of his two friends.

"He is so falling for her," Paige shared with Caleb who nodded his agreement, then turned back to Pogue. "Just ask her out already!"

"I plan on it thank you very much," Pogue informed, taking a bite of his ham sandwich. "I say tonight is a Nicky's night."

"Hell yeah!" Paige agreed enthusiastically.

"So," Caleb twisted in his seat to look at Paige. "What's going on with you and Reid? He has never acted like this before."

"I don't know what your talking about, Caleb," she said putting on an innocent face. Caleb exchanged a glance with Pogue before bringing his attention back to Paige.

"Just be careful with him, Paige. You know about his reputation and I don't want you to get hurt," Pogue pleaded.

"Thanks guys, but really you have nothing to worry about," Paige said, getting up from her seat, blowing them both kisses before strolling off to class.

* * *

Without so much as a knock, Rylee and Blake practically skipped Paige's and River's room ten minutes before they were supposed to meet the guys downstairs to go to Nicky's.

"Okay Paige, we're all here," Blake started as she plopped down on her friend's bed. "now spill on you and Reid."

A large grin appeared on the blonde's face as she turned her two friends. "Yeah! Spill!" River yelled from the bathroom.

"Alright fine," Paige told them every detail and how he had told her that he liked her. She told them about the rose petals and candles he had set out and how cute she thought it was at how nervous he was. Her heart fluttered at the memory.

"Wow," Blake breathed, her mouth hanging open slightly. "Who would have thunk that Garwin was a romantic?"

"Tell me about it," Paige said with a smile. "But don't tell the guys. I don't want them giving Reid a hard time," she warned and the girls nodded. "Okay enough about me how was your date?"

Blake and River took turns to tell the other two how amazing their double date had gone with Pogue and Caleb. Rylee then told them about her encounter with the youngest Son of Ipswich and her date she was to have with him this weekend. Paige could tell that her best friends were falling for her childhood friends, and that made her so happy.

* * *

The group arrived at Nicky's ready to have some fun, even though it was a Monday and a school night. While Pogue and Tyler went to the bar to order food and drinks for the gang, the rest of them looked for a table.

They found one near the bar but had to pull up extra chairs to seat all eight of them. Caleb, being the gentleman he was, pulled out a chair for River and sat down next to her. Reid tried to copy him by pulling out Paige's chair for her. Unfortunately, he didn't see that she was already half way down in her seat, causing her to miss the chair completely and fall right on the ground.

"Oops!" Reid reached down to help up a laughing Paige from the floor. "Sorry."

Tyler chuckled as he walked up to the table and set down four baskets of hamburger's and fries. Paige sent a playful glare in his direction, taking a fry from the basket in front of her and threw it at his face.

"Very mature," Tyler said, throwing a fry right back at her then grabbed Rylee's hand and took off to the pool tables before Paige could retaliate.

Reid looked over at Pogue who was whispering into Blake's ear and nudged Paige on the shoulder, nodding in the couples direction.

Blake's blush was undeniable but she did nothing to hide it as she gave Pogue a quick kiss on the lips. "It's about time you asked her out Pogue!" River shouted, bringing the rest of the groups attention to the happy couple.

Pogue rolled his eyes kissing his girlfriend on the cheek and took a fry and threw it at the dark haired girl. "Hey, seriously now."

She looked over at the pool tables where Rylee and Tyler were and smirked at the sight. Tyler was up behind Rylee showing her how to play. The funny thing was that Rylee already knew how to play. Actually, she was the best one out of the four of girls.

"They're cute together, aren't they?" River said aloud.

"Who?" Caleb asked, placing his arm casually over her shoulder. She grabbed a hold of his chin and turned his face so he saw what she was looking at.

Blake looked over too and snickered at the sight. "That's all an act," she informed Pogue, Caleb and Reid. "She is one of the best pool players I know."

"Really?" Reid asked, interested. "How about a game then? Me and Ty versus you and Rylee."

Twenty minutes later, Reid leaned against his pull stick with a sour look on his face.

"Damn, Brooks. You kicked our asses," he said as he started to set up for another game.

Rylee shrugged her shoulders and glanced over at Tyler, beaming. "I had a great teacher."

"We play winner."

The group turned around to find Aaron Abbott, Kira Snider, and his cronies standing behind them. Aaron's arm was around Kira's waist and a bandage rested on his recently broken nose.

"Alright," Rylee said, nearly growling through clenched teeth. She bent down, taking the first shot and made one stripe ball in. "Looks like I'm off to a good start." She made two more shots easily before missing her third then turned to Aaron.

"Let's see what you got." Blake sat back and watched Aaron try his best to hold himself together. Because after Rylee's impressive display earlier he seemed to have gotten a little nervous but he managed to knocked a few in himself as the game progressed.

As time passed, the game grew more intense. Caleb and the others joined the small crowd that had formed a slight circle around Blake, Rylee, Aaron and his partner.

Now each team had one ball to make aside for the black eight ball. Leaning over the table, Rylee lined up her cue and took her shot. It went straight in the hole. Most of the crowd cheered; only a few disliked how the game was turning out.

"Shit, Abbott. Looks like your gonna lose," Reid said, clearly amused. Aaron glared at him.

Rylee smirked as she bent down to take her last shot that was an easy go. But as she lined up, Kira somehow managed to maneuver her way next to Rylee and purposefully bumped into her causing her to hit only the white ball. A scratch.

"What the hell, Kira?" Tyler yelled.

"I fell," Kira leered, walking off to stand by Aaron's side who draped an arm over her.

In anger, Paige walked up to her and stood nose to nose with her. "If your not careful Snider, you could end up with a broken nose like your boyfriend," Paige whispered. Kira's eyes filled with fear and stepped back just as Aaron's last ball sailed into the corner pocket.

"Ready to lose ladies?" He lined up his final shot and silence filled the small crowd. He watched the white ball collide with the eight ball and then roll into the left side pocket. Aaron yelled in triumph, high-fiving his partner then turned around just in time to see the white ball fall into the same pocket.

"Damn, Aaron. You got a scratch," Reid said as Kira's mouth fell open. "You lose."

Nearly throwing a fit, Aaron stormed angrily from the bar, muttering how the girls cheated somehow threw a fit saying that the girls cheated somehow. Kira rushed after his, followed closely but his cronies.

"Reid," Caleb said sternly, giving the blonde a warning glare then pulled him aside to talk to him. River watched them, curious as to why Caleb felt the sudden urge to scold Reid. He hadn't done anything wrong while she wasn't looking?

Before she could use her gift of advanced hearing, Reid rolled his eyes and walked away. But not before he shoving him in the shoulder as he passed. With a scowl, Caleb watched to blonde Son of Ipswich go.

"What was that all about?" River asked as Caleb returned to her side.

"It was nothing," he reassured. Then Blake yelled her name from the dance floor where the three girls waited. She smiled at Caleb and took off to dance with her friends.

Amused, Caleb joined Tyler and Pogue at the table who were watching the girls dance goofily. Tyler suddenly broke his gaze from Rylee and looked over at the bar. There stood two men, both watched River, Blake, Paige and Rylee with much interest. The tall blonde one was pointing at Rylee, the gesture gave Tyler a strange feeling.

"Is it just me or do those guys give you an eerie feeling?" he asked.

A small chill crawled up Pogue's spine as he looked and locked eyes with the blonde man. The man nudged his friend and the red head too looked directly at the Sons. He sneered and nodded to them as he pushed from the bar. The red head's gaze found the girls once more before walking out of the door.

* * *

"Good night girls," Rylee said as she pushed the door to her and Blake's dorm open.

River and Paige stepped into their room and bid each other goodnight. It was nearing midnight by the time the two settled into their beds. Paige yawned loudly and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

River shook her head in amusement at her friend. But as she laid down to close her own eyes, a small fear lodged itself in her chest. Though the night before brought her nothing but normal happy dreams, she was terrified that tonight would be a different story. The nightmare she'd had about Demon two night ago had felt so real that she could almost still feel his cold touch. Her hand found her throat and touched the skin gently at the memory of her greatest enemies thin fingers around her neck.

She took a deep breath, telling herself she was being silly. She couldn't be harmed in her dreams, not matter how much Demon had wanted to, he couldn't have killed her. All he was doing was playing with her as if he were a cat and she his little mouse. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger at the thought that her and her friends lives were nothing but a game to him.

_Two could play like that, _she thought. If she saw him in her dreams tonight, she'd give him her own warning. After all, they were her dreams and no one but herself could control them. So almost in satisfaction, she closed her eyes and drifted in a slumber.

* * *

_Reid and Paige walked hand in hand along a bridge that crossed over a small river. She let go and strolled over to the edge of it; Reid followed, placing his arms lightly around her waist. They stood like that for a few minutes, in a silent contentedness. _

"_Reid, I feel like you've been hiding something from me," Paige started, leaning her back against his chest. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" _

_He didn't answer. His grip loosened and his arms slid out from around her, leaving her feeling cold at his absence._

"_Reid?" Turning around, she grabbed his hand and forced him to face her. She gasped in surprise and fear as the man suddenly changed forms in front of her. Within seconds, Reid not longer stood in front of her. It was now Demon she faced, and evil glint in his blood red eyes._

_A scream escaped from her lips as she realized that she could not teleport anywhere. All there was left to do was run, so she spun around, intended to put as much distance between herself and Demon. Her feet hit the pavement hard as she raced away._

"_Gareth! Ian!" She heard him yell. All of a sudden, two men appeared out of nowhere, standing right in Paige's path. The short red haired man lunged for her but Paige jumped to the side, evading him. But in her efforts to get away from the first man, the second, a tall blonde, grabbed her arm. _

_Paige tried to pull herself free but the red haired man joined his companion and held her in place. The men were far too strong for her without her powers, even if she fought with all her might she wouldn't have escaped. _

"_Gareth, hold her still!" The short red head shouted to the blonde._

"_I've got her," Gareth said. His gaze went to the approaching man and bowed deeply to him. "Master."_

_Paige's breath quickened the closer Demon came. Each step he took was in perfect rhythm to the pounding of her heart. Too soon, he stood in front of her, and she found fear had frozen her. Without her powers, there was no way of protecting herself. She felt weak and helpless as he brought his hand to her face and ran his fingertips along her cheek then to her lips._

"_Get off me," She whimpered, shuddering at his touch. His hand collided with the side of her face. The blow would have sent her to the ground if she was not being held by the two men. _

"_The one with the ability to be in two places at once, shall be the first to fall. With one gone and three remaining, your prophecy that would lead to my end will be no more." He glanced at his henchmen who suddenly let go of her._

_Paige's knees gave out, but before she could fall, Demon's hand gripped her hair and hauled her to her feet. She screamed out in pain and fear as he pulled her close. In one swift moment, he brought his hands to her head and twisted her neck. _

River woke abruptly, breathing heavily as the sound of cracking bones and screams echoed in her mind. A cold film of sweat covered her shaking body. Tears of relief filled her brown eyes as she looked over to find her best friend sleeping safely in her bed.

"Paige?" River whispered.

The blonde stirred in her sleep as River called to her a second time. Paige slowly sat up to face her friend, her eyes dazed. "What?" she asked, voice laced with sleep. "What's wrong?"

Lips trembling, River let out a breath and with it a single sob. Paige was sat her side in less than a second, her arms wrapped around her comfortingly.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Paige asked.

River nodded and wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. She clung to Paige, remembering the way she had fallen to the ground dead at Demon's hands.

"It was Demon again," Paige said, knowingly. "What happened?"

"It was awful." Realizing her voice shook, she cleared her throat. "You were in it, you and Reid. I was watching, like it was a movie. Demon had these two guys with him. You didn't have your powers and you couldn't escape," she said, looking into her friends blue eyes. "Paige, he killed you."


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

Paige's breath caught in her chest at River's words. She then listened in fearful silence as was told every detail of the nightmare. She shuddered at the thought of Demon's hand touching her face.

"River, it's okay," she said gently. "I'm okay. Everything is going to be fine. But Rylee and Blake need to know about this and so does Kevin." Paige gently grabbed River's hand and teleported her to Rylee and Blake's dorm next door.

"Guys, wake up," Paige said, loud enough to wake her two sleeping friends. Rylee sat up slowly, rubbing her blue eyes as she stifled a yawn.

"Give me a few more minutes," Blake mumbled sleepily.

"No, now," Paige said with authority. "River had another nightmare about Demon."

"What?" Blake bolted up right, searching for her friends in the dark. A soft golden glow came from Rylee's eyes, and with a snap of her fingers, a small lamp on her desk flickered on, casting light into the room.

"Another one? What was it about this time?" Rylee questioned, patting the spot next to her on the bed and River took the seat quietly. She told Blake and Rylee everything she had told Paige, shivering when she finished.

"What does it mean?" Blake asked concerned.

Paige shook her head. "I have no idea but tomorrow I'm going to go see Kevin again. Maybe he can give us more information about what these nightmares actually mean."

"And see if he found anything out about Caleb and the guys. Maybe he's found more out about why Demon would mention them," River added, laying down next to Rylee, yawning loudly.

"Good idea. I'll go first thing in the morning, so I probably won't be in my first two or three classes." Paige turned to River. "You think you can sleep anymore?"

River shook her head hard. "I don't want to close my eyes."

"But you need sleep," Blake said, looking at the clock. They only had two more hours until they needed to get ready for school. River just shook her head again stubbornly.

"Okay, well we can go back to our dorm and watch a movie or something." Paige walked towards River, grabbed her shoulder and teleported her back to their room.

* * *

Paige slowly walked out of a small wooded area in a park in Los Angeles that was close to where she used to live. It was early back in Ipswich, so she was positive that no one would in Los Angeles would be up considering the time difference. She smiled to herself as her gaze found four swings. When they were younger, her and the other girls used to have contests of who could swing the highest.

She was tempted to go over and swing for a little while but she was here on business, not pleasure. Stopping in the middle of the park she looked in all directions, checking one more time that she was alone.

"Kevin?" she called at the top of her voice.

Only seconds passed before a tall dark haired man with dark eyes was standing in front of her. "I should have known you would be back soon," he said, grabbing her hand. They disappeared from the small park and reappeared in a familiar room. Kevin's office was welcoming. The walls were a dark tan that went well with the oak desk and matching set of chairs. A small fireplace sat in one corner, lit and warming the room.

"Take a seat," Kevin said, gesturing to the chair opposite him. Paige sat down and noticed an older woman with gray and black hair that was pulled in a tight bun.

"Hello, Lucy," Paige greeted with a smile.

Lucy rarely spoke in Paige's presence, so as usual Lucy only smiled and watched Kevin.

"What is it that you are here for today, Miss Elliot?" Kevin asked politely, folding is hands together on the desk in front of him.

"River's had another nightmare," Paige said, jumping right into it. "Demon was in it again but this time he had two men…henchmen, I guess you would call them. But he came after me this time…" She went on to explain what River had told her..

Kevin kept silent, taking in what she was saying. Minutes after she was finished, she grew anxious at his long silence and broke it. "What does it mean?"

Kevin leaned forward in his chair. "River gets these dreams only because she has the power of premonition, though what she sees in these dreams are not necessarily something that will come to pass. It is merely a warning. Demon is trying to make you choose a different destiny. As I told you last time he cannot kill you in your dreams. It seems that he is just toying with River, to show her what could go wrong. He's just trying to scare you."

Paige nodded in understanding. _We can't let him scare us. We can't let him win, _she thought encouragingly, taking a deep breath.

"But you do need to be aware of the fact that he has, like you said, two henchmen. These men cannot kill you, but they will try to harm you and your friends." He watched as Paige's eyes grew wide in shock and continued. "I know this is hard, Paige. But you have to understand, you are the only ones who can stop him."

Lucy opened her mouth as if to say something but with a warning glance from Kevin, she went silent once more.

Not seeing what had happened, Paige pushed on to the next topic. "Have you found anything out about the Sons of Ipswich and why Demon would be interested in them?" This time she did see Kevin glance at Lucy but thought nothing of it.

"Your reunion with them seems to make you happy," Kevin said. "The other girls seem to like them very much."

Paige raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lucy but her gaze was locked on Kevin. "Yeah," she said. "We're all happy. But did you find anything out?"

"You're at an advantage with knowing them, Paige," Kevin answered.

Paige waited for a more detailed answer but it didn't come. "That's it?"

"That's it." He smiled and started sorting through papers on his desk that looked quite old and worn. In the corner Lucy shifted her weight.

Paige sat, staring at Kevin in disbelief. She stood up and walked quickly to the door. "Thanks for your help," she snapped before throwing the door open and storming out.

It wasn't until Paige was gone that Lucy finally spoke. "I think you should have told her about the Sons."

Kevin's gaze met hers, his dark eyes serious. "They will find out soon enough."

* * *

The school day went on as usual, only without Paige. When the others wondered out loud about her where she was, all the girls would say was that she wasn't feeling well and thankfully they bought the lie.

Lunch had arrived, and River bought her lunch and joined the Sons, Blake, and River at a table near a window. It was halfway through their lunch brake now and Blake kept sending anxious glances to the door.

"Looking for someone?" Pogue asked his girlfriend, eyeing her with his hazel gaze.

"Oh, um, Paige text me before class ended and said she was on her way," Blake lied. "Said she was feeling better."

Rylee suddenly sat up straighter as, if on cue, Paige came waltzing threw the cafeteria door. She quickly spotted her friends and made her way through the loud crowd.

"Hey guys," She said, sitting down next to Reid.

"Feeling better?" he asked, offering her a chicken nugget from his plate.

"Yeah loads. Thanks for asking." She snatched one from his tray and plopped it into her mouth, not realizing until then just how hungry she was.

With her foot, River nudged Paige's leg under the table, giving her friend an anxious look when their eyes locked. _What did you find out? _

Paige looked away from the dark haired girl and asked Reid about homework in the classes they shared. To River she used her telepathy to say, _I'll tell you later. _

"I'm heading to class early," Caleb said as he stood up. He placed a gentle hand in River's back. "I'll walk you to class, if you'd like."

River nodded, trying to hide the grin that graced her face as she joined him. Paige hadn't had time to grab any food for herself so she too decided to head to class early. Being finished with their own lunches, Pogue, Blake and Reid went to follow when Rylee squealed.

"Wait for me!" she called, shoving the last mashed potato covered chicken nugget into her mouth. Tyler grinned as Rylee skipped up to the waiting group, and together, the eight walked out of the cafeteria and into the wide hallway.

Most of the students of Spenser were still eating their lunches but some strayed into the hallways and wandered around until class started.

They were just passing a row of lockers when someone spoke to them. "Look at that, each Son of Ipswich has his own little whore."

Blake stopped dead in her tracks and narrowed her eyes at the sneering red head in the embrace of Aaron Abbot. Kira Snider's gaze drifted from over Blake then River with piercing eyes.

"Wow, you are so jealous it's unbelievable." Blake said, standing hand in hand with Pogue. "Really it's kind of pathetic."

"You know, Kira, if you stop being such a bitch," River said, "maybe you'd actually be able to get a decent guy." She looked pointedly at Aaron who scowled at her in return.

Kira left his side and walked toward River, only stopping inches from her face. "I may be a bitch, but at least I'm not psychotic." She said, loud enough to make the few students in the area stop and watch.

"What the hell are you talking about, Snider?" Paige asked. She cut in between the two, making the red head take a few steps back.

"I've heard her yelling and screaming at night. My dorm is right next to yours." Kira made sure everyone around her heard every word. Paige heard a low growl coming from deep within River's and shot her warning glance.

"I could hear her screaming, 'Oh! Help me! He's after us! Demon's after us! AHHH!'" She mocked River, she turned to Aaron throwing her head back in laughter.

River's skin crawled with anger as she watched Kira, and before anyone could do anything, she stepped out from behind Paige and leaped at Kira, knocking her to the ground. She grabbed a handful of Kira's hair and pulled hard, causing her to scream. River managed to hit her across the face before she felt her power start to surface.

"River!" Paige said, noticing that her friend's eyes were no longer their usual brown but a light, glowing green. "Close yours eyes!" She ran to the wrestling pair, Rylee followed closely behind her. A small crowd had formed around them, shouting 'fight' for their own sick entertainment.

Rylee scrambled around trying to grab one of River's flailing arms and the girls tumbled around on the floor. "God, River hold still!"

Paige easily pulled Kira away from River but she wriggled free from Paige's hold, breathing heavily. A large bruise had already appeared on Kira's face and her lip was bleeding; River was scratch free.

"You stupid bitch!" Aaron shouted, coming quickly to Kira's side and wiped the blood that leaked from her busted lip.

"Shut up, Abbott." Caleb warned, taking a protective stance next to River then turned to her. "You okay?" he asked gently placing both hands on her cheeks, bending down to her level. Her eyes were closed. "Look at me."

River shook her head and squeezed her eyelids even tighter knowing that they were no longer the beautiful brown that Caleb was used too.

"Blake, take River back to the room and let her cool off," Paige said firmly. Blake nodded, let go of Pogue's hand and grabbed River.

Paige watched them leave then turned to Aaron. "Abbott, you better get her out of here." She said, her blue eyes flashing with anger. Aaron was about to respond when all four of the Sons stepped toward him. Knowing he could not take them all without his buddies, he quickly led Kira away to nurse her wounds.

Tyler was the first of the guys to speak. "Alright the shows over people." Everyone obeyed the youngest Son and continued to their classes as if nothing happened.

The anger gradually subsided as Paige took a few deep breaths, running a hand through her blonde hair.

"What was that about?" Paige looked up to see Caleb hovering over her with a questioning stare but Rylee answered for her.

"River can have a temper if someone pushes her to a certain point. And Kira pressed all of the wrong buttons. She just needs to calm down."

"Why did you have her close her eyes?" Caleb was still staring at Paige, suspicion in his eyes.

"She can have a bad temper," Paige lied repeated Rylee's words. "It helps her calm down faster."

Caleb nodded his head just as the bell rang. "We better get to class."

* * *

When classes had finally finished, Paige and Rylee practically ran back to the dorm building. Paige's anger had simmered after Blake had successfully gotten River to the dorms and out of sight. But now it was back as the two made their way down the dorm hallways.

Paige opened the door quickly and Rylee stepping in behind her.

"How can you be so stupid!" Paige said, spotting River sitting on the bed talking to Blake. She slammed the door shut, slamming it a little harder than she had meant to.

"She taunted me, Paige!" River shouted back, her eyes back to their normal shade of brown.

"Yeah, she did but you need to learn to control your temper. If Kira would have seen your eyes, we could have been exposed," Rylee said calmly. "But, Paige, I think she knows that. So calm down."

"You're right," Paige said then turned to River. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"I'm sorry, too. But if she does it one more time I will rip her to shreds." River said, receiving a look from Blake. "Just kidding, sheesh."

The girls laughed, the tension that had been there previously was dead now. With a smile, Rylee shook her head as she sat down on Paige's bed, opposite of River and Blake.

"What did Kevin have to say?" Blake asked Paige curiously as she pulled out her blue lighter and started playing with the flames, the iris of her eyes now a glowing shade of purple.

Paige huffed in annoyance at the thought of , Kevin and started to explain everything that the Keeper had said, or lack there of.

"It's an advantage to us?" Rylee asked in confusion. "How?" Her blue eyes were glowed golden-yellow as she played with an electric ball that bounced in her hands. The sound of electricity muffled the crackling flames of that dancing in Blake's palm.

"This whole thing is like a freaking puzzle," Blake said with a frown. "And I hate puzzles."

* * *

A few hours after school had let out, Caleb thoughts had returned to the tussle between Kira and River. Kira's words kept floating through his mind over and over. Something about them held his curiosity, not allowing him to think of anything else. He sat in the basement of the Danvers Old Colony house when a door opening sounded from above.

Moments later, Pogue, Tyler and Reid came into view. "Okay, Caleb, what's so important that you couldn't tell us on the phone?"

Caleb waited until all three had sat down before speaking. "Today, did you hear what Kira was saying?"

"Yeah," Tyler said with a nod. "Something about River having nightmares."

"Exactly. She mentioned someone named Demon and that he was coming after them." Fire danced across the iris of his eyes, bleeding them black. A book from the other side of the room lifted off the top shelf and floated to him. "The name sounded familiar, so I came here to do some research." He grabbed it out of the air, opened it, flipping dusty page after dusty page until he found the one he was looking for.

"And you actually found something?" Reid reached forward, taking the book from Caleb's hand and balanced it on his knees. Caleb waited as Pogue and Tyler leaned in closer to see the small, handwritten print on the old parchment page.

_Demon_

_A powerful, most evil being upon this earth. A prediction was made a Century ago, speaking of a prophecy that is to come in the new century. The prophecy will speak of four beings with immense powers that will be able to bring Demon's evil rein to an end._

"Shit. Please tell me that these 'four beings with immense powers' isn't us." Reid rubbed his hands over his face and took a deep breath. "First Chase now this?"

Caleb nodded his head. "And unfortunately I think Demon is using the same strategy as Chase did."

Tyler looked at him in confusion, then it slowly dawned on him. His blew eyes grew wide. "He's going to use the girls to get to us."

"I think Demon is planting nightmares or something in River's mind," Caleb said. Thousands of explanations had run through his mind but this one seemed most logical. "Just as he had with Sarah."

"This can't be happening again." Pogue ran a hand roughly through his hair, angered that an enemy threatened the ones in his life for the second time. "We need to keep a close watch on the girls and be around them as much as possible, just incase he tries to go after them."

"Well if he is trying to get to us through the girls then why hasn't he made a move yet?" Tyler asked. "I mean they have been here for almost a month."

Caleb looked to the ground shaking his head, not knowing how to answer. "Let's go see the girls."

* * *

River and Paige sat at their own desks to start on homework they had received for that day. Blake and Rylee procrastinated doing their own homework and instead decided on watching Step Up. River rolled her eyes as Rylee said for the hundredth time how hott Channing Tatum was.

"Oh he is so yummy." Blake sighed as the credits rolled. "But my boyfriend is yummier." She giggled after putting much emphasis on the word boyfriend. Rylee grinned at her giddy friend.

River sighed and pushed her Calculus book away. "I can't concentrate." She was still heated about her fight with Kira.

"How about tonight we go and train?" Blake smirked at her blonde friend. "You can get all of your frustration out on Paige, since me and Rylee trained last time."

"Oh, thanks. Leave me to fight against a rabid wolf," Paige joked. She sent a wink in River's direction.

"It's settled then. We can leave in like an hour or two. I'm sure no one will be out tonight since it's getting colder," Rylee said curling up in one of the two bean bag chairs set out in front of the TV.

Just as their discussion ended there was a knock on the door. Paige stood to open it to find Reid, Tyler, Caleb and Pogue waiting on the other side.

"Hey girls. We thought we could hang out tonight and watch movies or something." Without waiting for any sort of reply, Tyler pushed past Paige and walked into the room. He carried a handful of movies and a few bags of popcorn.

"Umm.. Well actually we were going to…" River tried to think of an excuse but nothing came to mind so they agreed to the movie night.

_We have to train. After they leave we will head to the Dells. _Paige telepathically told the girls before going to join Reid who was now on her bed.

The first movie they agreed on watching was the remake of Amityville Horror.

By the middle of the movie the group had paired off. Blake was laying down next to Pogue, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Paige had curled into Reid's side with her head on his shoulder. After debating with himself for a while, Tyler had scooted closer to Rylee and did the fake yawn, placing his arm around her shoulder. Caleb kept his distance from River by only holding her hand. River seemed a little put off by it but didn't say anything.

"Gosh, that was scary." Rylee mumbled with her eyes closed, her face buried into Tyler's chest. He laughed, running his hands through her hair.

By the end of the third movie everyone had fallen asleep. Rylee woke up to see that the clock read 2:30 a.m. She gently lifted Tyler's arm from around her and quietly crawled out of the bean bag chair where she sat with him.

_Guys wake up. _she spoke to River, Paige, and Blake using the connection she shared. All three girls stirred in their sleep at the should of Rylee's voice in their heads. River was the first of the three to realize why Rylee had woken them. Caleb had unconsciously pulled River into his arms during his sleep so she did as Rylee did and gently wiggled out of his hold.

Paige crawled soundlessly over a sleeping Reid and joined Rylee and River. Then they waited for Blake to escape the tight hold that Pogue had on his girlfriend.

Once free, she grabbed Paige's hand, quickly glanced at the boys to make sure they were really sleeping before Paige teleported her out of the room.

A few moments later River heard Paige's voice inside her head. _Are they still asleep?_

_Yes_. Paige appeared back in the room to take River to the Dells, then came back one last time for Rylee.

* * *

"Alright guys. Let's not be too long with this training it's already way too early in the morning and we have class," Blake said as she sat next to Rylee on a nearby fallen tree. "And plus we have four guys in our room that could wake up any moment and wonder where we are."

Paige stood a few yards away from River who had already shifted into the large wolf, her eyes glowing lime green in the night. Paige's eyes changed from their normal blue to light pink that also glowed, ready for the wolf to come charging at her.

"Be gentle with the biting this time, huh, River?" Paige smirked before disappearing from sight.

River growled, making circles around the large wooded area that they had searched for at the foot of the Dells. She used her advanced hearing to see if she could hear Paige behind the trees.

A branch snapped and River spun around just in time to see Paige standing in a small clearing with a large tree limb in her hand. She launched it in River's direction, then disappeared once again. River caught the tree limb with her teeth and easily snapped it in half.

"Paige, let River get a chance to charge at you," Rylee ordered. Paige obeyed and reappeared in front of the large wolf.

"What fun will that be for me?" she managed to ask before River hurtled at her and knocked her to the ground, grabbing her arm in her jaws.

"Ouch! Damn it River, I said easy on the biting!" Paige yelled, throwing the wolf off of her and scrambled to her feet.

The fight continued on for another hour and a half before they called it quits.

"Nice strategy with the tree thing," said a naked River. Rylee came to her side, handing her clothes back. She stripped down naked before she shifted so that she wouldn't rip her favorite pair of jeans.

"You guys did awesome!" Blake complimented, avoiding looking at River out of habit.

"Thanks. We better get out of her," she said, glancing at her watch. "It's four in the morning. Let's hope the guys haven't woken up yet."

"Okay, I will just take you all at the same time," Paige offered, walking up to the girls.

River shook her head. "Paige you know how much energy that takes out of you when you teleport more than one person at a time."

"It's okay. I'll just be a bit more tired, no big deal." She shrugged and grabbed a hold of Rylee and Blake's hand. Paige looked expectantly at River.

River sighed then placed her hand on Paige's shoulder. Within seconds after the four disappeared from the woods, two men appeared from behind a massive tree. One had short red hair and the other was tall and blonde.

"Demon's not going to happy about this, Gareth. They have gained control over their powers," Ian, the red head said. He looked over at the blonde with a scowl on his face.

"We are very lucky that the shifter didn't smell us or we would have been exposed." His light eyes lingered on the spot where Paige had teleported from.

* * *

Paige teleported them into the bathroom nearest to their dorm rooms, praying to God that no one was in there. Luckily they got what they hoped for as they stepped out of a single shower stall.

"Oh, a shower sounds so nice right now," River whimpered as all four walked out into the chilly, empty hallway.

Blake stopped in front of the door. "Do you think they're still asleep?"

The girls shrugged as Blake reached for the handle. But before she could touch it, it opened.

"God, Blake," Pogue breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his girlfriend. He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Where did you guys disappear to?" Reid asked Paige as he approached her.

"Uh...umm…we.." Paige stuttered. She was awful with lying on the spot. She looked up into Reid's piercing blue eyes. "We went for a walk."

Caleb looked at the girls, perplexed. "You guys went for a walk at four in the morning?"

"Yeah, well River had another bad dream and she couldn't go back to sleep. So she wanted us to go on a walk with her." Blake lied. Paige envied her ability to lie so easily.

Caleb's eyes flooded with concern. "You had another bad dream? Why didn't you wake us?"

"I didn't want to bother you guys with my silly dreams," she laughed trying to lighten up to mood.

"Well, I would have kept you company." Caleb spoke softly.

"I'm sure you would keep her company." Reid grinned, giving his brother a swift wink. Paige elbowed him in the stomach at his remark.

"Ow!" he huffed as the wind got knocked out of him. Tyler barked out a laugh.

"Shh!" Rylee threw her hand over Tyler's mouth and herded the group into the room.

"You all can crash here tonight if you would like," River offered as she climbed into her bed and dropped onto her pillow. Reid climbed into bed with Paige and snuggled up to her, placing his head in the crook of her neck and closed his eyes. Blake and Pogue took the small sofa that sat in the corner of the room.

Tyler plopped down on the large bean bag chair that he occupied a few hours ago. He pulled Rylee down next to him and she curled into his side, yawning loudly.

After a few moments of hesitation, Caleb turned off the light then climbed under the covers with River, though keeping his distance and fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

"What news do you bring?" an icy voice sneered out of the darkness.

Ian and Gareth cringed out of fear. "We followed the four girls like you ordered, Master," Gareth informed, running his left hand nervously through his hair.

Demon walked out of the darkness and toward the two men. "And? What of their powers?" Demon knew of the prophecy speaking of four girls that were destined to destroy him, but it never spoke of the powers they possessed.

"Well, sir… their powers are greater than you anticipated. They have full control over them. From what we saw, one can teleport, and the other can shift into a wolf." Ian gulped loudly and shifted his stance. "It seems that their strength well exceeds that of a normal teenager."

"And the other two?" Demon's voice grew louder with each word he spoke, his red eyes gleaming.

The two men glanced at each other fearfully. "Ah, master, the uh, the other two didn't use their powers. They were in a hurry, one of them mentioned four boys."

"The Sons of Ipswich," Demon spoke, though mostly to himself. "Yes they caught my attention before, they seem very close to our four girls. You know what that means don't you?"

"Sir?" Ian questioned, unsure of the answer.

Demon's hand shot up to Gareth's throat, lifting him off the ground. "It means that you will spend every waking moment trying to find out what the other twos powers are." He threw Gareth to the side and stepped in front of Ian.

"As for the Sons of Ipswich, they are not to be dealt with… yet."

* * *

"Finally!" Reid shouted as he and Blake walked out of their last class of the day of Thursday. "That was the longest day of my life."

Blake rolled her eyes then spotted her boyfriend at his locker. "Hey baby!" she greeted, as she approached Pogue and Caleb.

"Hey babe." Pogue beamed, pulling her into his arms and kissed her softly on her lips.

"Hey Blake. Reid." Caleb greeted as he put his books that he didn't need into the locker. They smiled in reply before walking out of the school doors into the chilly air of Ipswich. The weather was starting to get colder as the season approached the beginning of October. The group pulled their school jackets closer to their bodies and Blake huddled closer to Pogue.

Reid felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out. "Oh, it's Ty. He said that it was too cold to wait for us outside so they are hanging out in our dorm."

"I don't blame them, it's freezing out here. I miss LA weather." Blake pouted, grabbed Pogue's hand and pulled him toward the dorm building. The other two followed her lead.

They walked into Reid and Tyler's dorm room to find Paige, River, Rylee and Tyler cuddled on one of the small beds, trying to get warm. "Wow, Ty. Three girls in your bed at once? Looks like your taking after me." Reid smirked as he walked over to his bed to lay down. Paige glared at him then looked away in anger.

"Shut up, Reid," Tyler mumbled, blushing slightly.

Reid caught Paige's eye and patted the spot next to him, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. She rolled her eyes in annoyance then crawled over Tyler.

"I just wanted to tell you guys that my mom invited you all to dinner tonight. She said she wanted to get the whole group together. Your parents are invited too but I think my mom already talked to them." She ignored Reid who reached out to her as she passed. "Dinner's at seven," she added, swinging the door open and closing it behind her.

Paige rushed to her own dorm room to grab her car keys and her jacket. She walked swiftly out of the dorm building and to the parking lot where her blue Mazda Rx8 waited.

Once in the car she took a deep breath letting the anger she felt leave with her breathe. The comment Reid made angered her but she didn't know why. _It's that big if a deal, _She told herself. _You know about his reputation._

Paige's cell phone rang loudly from the passenger seat in her car. "Hello?"

"Hey, is everything okay? You rushed out of here pretty quickly." Tyler's voice came from the other end of the line, sounding concerned.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I forgot my mom wanted me to help her with dinner." This lie came easily as she started the car and headed to her house.

"You looked kind of angry, are you sure everything is okay?" he asked for the second time.

Knowing that the others were listening in on the conversation, she lied again. "Yeah, everything's fine. But do you think you can give the girls a lift or something when you guys head over? I forgot they don't have their own cars."

"Yeah, I'm sure we can manage that. See you later, Peanut."

"Bye, Ty." She hung up the phone and threw it down on her lap.

* * *

Paige's mom Kassandra, had cooked a wonderful meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn muffins. The large table in the dinning room was attractively set for fourteen.

"Mom, this smells amazing." Paige sniffed the delicious air that made her mouth water. "Pogue took Blake to meet Penn before they came over for dinner. She called me freaking out that she was meeting his dad."

"Well she shouldn't be scared of Penn," Kassandra smiled warmly at her daughter. "Are the others on their way as well?"

"Yeah. Caleb, River, Reid and Rylee are all riding with Tyler." Paige pursed her lips. "Well Reid probably took over Ty's car though."

"What is that I hear about my son?" Paige turned around to see Demi Garwin walking into the kitchen carrying her black pea coat over her arm.

"Oh just the usual, you know. Him stealing Ty's car, and so on," Paige explained with a smile as she pulled Demi into a hug.

Kassandra smiled at her best friend and greeted her the same as Paige, then walked her to the living room where they would wait for the others to arrive.

"So I finally get to meet these friends of yours I've heard so much about?" Demi asked enthusiastically, sitting on one of the two sofas.

Paige sat down on the other one next to her mother. "Yes, mam. Pogue is actually dating Blake, and I'm pretty sure Ty likes Rylee. River seems to have an interest in Caleb as well."

Just then, the front door opened and some called for them.

"In the living room!" Kassandra said. Footsteps were heard as Pogue walked in the room holding Blake's hand. Penn walked next to his son.

"Hello," Penn greeted merrily walking to each girl and kissing their cheeks. Penn gestured for Blake to come to him.

"Demi, I would like you to meet my son's girlfriend Blake Thomas. Blake this is Reid's mother, Demi." Penn smiled from ear to ear, clearly pleased with Pogue's choice in companionship. Pogue sat down next to Paige, grinning.

"It's very nice to meet you. Kassandra and Paige has told me wonderful things about you." Demi stood and pulled Blake into a warm embrace.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Garwin," Blake said politely.

"Oh don't be silly dear, call me Demi."

Blake smiled then went to sit down next to her best friend and boyfriend after hugging Kassandra. After the rest of the guests had arrived, Paige had introduced everyone then headed to the dining room for dinner.

An hour later, River plopped down onto Paige's bed. Too full to really move anywhere they'd agreed to hang out for a little while before returning to the dorms.

"I forgot how good of a cook your mom was," Blake said, rubbing her full belly.

"That was probably the best meal I have ever had," Tyler said, taking a seat next to Rylee who sat down on the couch that was set off to the side of Paige's room.

"Yeah I know." Paige grinned as Reid grabbed her from behind and pulled her onto the floor to sit next to him.

As the minutes passed, their conversation ranging from family, hobbies, and the future. Though the girls tried to avoid this topic as much as possible considering they didn't know if they will make it past Rylee's birthday.

"So you all are 18 except for Rylee?" Caleb asked. Rylee nodded her head. "When is your birthday?"

"It's on Halloween, actually. Creepy, right?" she laughed. _Go figure my birthday would be on the day when witchcraft and paranormal is at its highest, _she added, speaking to just the girls.

The girls burst into laughter. The guys looked on in confusion. "Did we miss an inside joke or something?" Pogue asked, his fingers running through Blake's dark brown hair.

"Yea,." all four giggled together.

"Okay, I feel left out. How about a movie?" Tyler got up from where he sat next to Rylee and walked to the large shelf that held nothing but DVDs. "Let's see. How about…..The Goonies?"

"Yeah!" Paige and River yelled at the same time. So with all in agreement, Tyler put the movie into the DVD player, turned on the TV, then turned off the lights before going to sit down next to Rylee again.

The fading sun cast a small amount of light into the room. Paige was able to see the outline of her seven friends. She looked around the room from where she sat cuddled up next to Reid. After dinner, Reid had offered to help her mother wash the dishes. She couldn't help but not be mad any longer.

Paige noticed that once again her friends were paired off in couples except for River and Caleb. Tyler now had Rylee sitting in between his legs with her back to his chest and his arms wrapped lightly around her. Blake and Pogue were curled on Paige's king sized bed, Blake's head rested on his chest.

River sat on the bed next to Blake and Pogue looking at the TV but not really paying attention to it. _River what's wrong? _Paige used telepathy to speak with just her dark haired friend.

_I thought Caleb liked me. I mean, he asked me out on a date, he holds my hand sometimes, and he walks me to class almost everyday! Look at him. There is plenty of room next to me but he chooses a chair that is on the opposite side of the room. _River's irritated voice echoed in her head. _Did I do something wrong?_

_Of course not,_ Paige replied, looking across the room to the eldest Son of Ipswich. She had in fact, noticed that Caleb had been keeping a safe distance from River. But she also noticed that every few seconds he would glance at River, look down, then back at the TV as if he were debating on whether or not to join her on the bed.

Paige got up and walked to the door. Reid went to follow her but she stopped him before he stood up. "I'm getting some popcorn and drinks for everyone. Caleb, could you help me?"

_Paige, I am going to kill you,_ River's voice threatened. Paige couldn't help but smile.

Caleb stood and followed Paige from the room. They walked down to the kitchen in silent until they made it safely past their talking parents in the living room. In the kitchen, Paige reached into the cupboard and pulled out a bag of popcorn.

"Sooo," Paige said, glancing at Caleb as she placed the popcorn in the microwave. "You like River, right?"

"Huh?"

"Don't play stupid with me, Caleb. I know you like her. But you kind of aren't acting like it." Paige spoke softly as to not let their conversation outside of the room. "She thinks that you're playing hot and cold, that you don't like her. I know I haven't been around for the last five years but I know that you aren't one to play games. What's going on?"

Caleb stared at Paige, caught off guard by her forwardness. He was never good at keeping secrets from her. Well, most secrets that is. "I don't mean to play games, I really don't Paige, it's just…" He closed his eyes and took a deep sigh. "You remember Sarah, the girl I dated last year?"

She nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

"Well, things didn't go so smoothly between us. I really cared for her and trusted her with everything. Then one day she said she couldn't take it anymore and said that she was moving back home to Boston. I haven't liked a girl since she left. And then River comes along and she is just great, everything I look for in a girl." His gaze dropped to the floor for a few seconds before returning it to Paige. "I'm just scared that if I let her in that I'll get hurt. Or worse… that she will get hurt."

Paige stood right in front of Caleb and placed a hand on his arm. "First of all, that Sarah girl was an idiot for letting you go. Secondly, River really likes you and would try her hardest not to hurt you. And for the bit about you being afraid of her getting hurt is nonsense. Trust me Caleb. River is well… an animal, she can take care of herself. But really, no more games or I will be forced to hurt you," she joked playfully.

Laughing, Caleb pulled her into a hug. "Thanks, Paige." He sighed. "We better get back with the popcorn and drinks." He walked over to the microwave just as it beeped, opened it and poured the popcorn into a large bowl. Paige grabbed eight sodas from the fridge at random.

"Yeah, River and Reid will think that we eloped or something," she said as they made their way back up the stairs.

"What's going on with you and Reid anyways?" Caleb asked curiously.

"Well, I'm not sure myself. I mean, he told me that he liked me and you see how he acts around me, but I don't know." Paige shrugged. "We like each other, we just haven't made it official."

"Just be careful with him. I've seen how he treats girls so I'm praying he treats you differently and by the looks of it now, it seems that he is going in the right path." Caleb's voice dropped to a whisper as they stood just outside of Paige's room. "I know Reid is like my brother and all but if he hurts you, I will kill him."

"Thanks but I think I can handle him. Now go get your woman!" Paige smacked his butt encouragingly before opening the door to an almost pitch black room.

"Ow!" Reid yelled from the floor as Caleb stepped on him, causing him to nearly fall over.

"Sorry, Reid," he said, feeling his way through the darkness.

After passing around all the drinks, Paige turned to see Caleb laying down next to River, his arms wrapped around her waist. Satisfied with her small part in Match Maker, she gave Reid a light kiss on the lips.

River's voice popped into Paige's head. _Did I mention how much I love you? _

_Not today. _Paige smiled to herself as she rested her head on Reid's shoulder.

River turned in Caleb's arms so that she was facing his chest, shut her eyes and before she knew it, she was drifting into unconsciousness…

"_Happy Birthday Rylee!" Tyler leaned forward and placed a birthday kiss on the brunette's lips. She blushed but smiled widely as Blake walked into Paige's living room with a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Her favorite._

"_You guys really didn't have to do this." Rylee looked around at her friends. Caleb held River tightly to his side as they stood next to the large couch where Reid and Paige sat. _

_Blake set down the cake on the coffee table in front of Rylee and turned off the lights. The chorus of 'Happy Birthday' rang through the room. Rylee looked down at the cake in front of her. The white icing read 'Happy Birthday Rylee' in small letters. The only light came from the eighteen candles that sat on top of the cake._

_Just as Rylee blew out the candles, a scream ripped through the air. Rylee jumped from her seat in alarm, staring into the darkness. She reached to her left to turn on the lights but they didn't flicker on like she hoped. Snapping her fingers, she tried getting the lights on, but nothing happened. Her powers were useless."Guys?" she whispered, fear evident in her small voice._

_Suddenly, the candles on the cake flickered back to life as an eerie voice sent chills up her spine. "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Rylee, Happy Birthday to You."_

_causing her heart beat to increase as it thudded loudly inside her chest._

_In the dim light, she saw a tall figure glide into the room, red eyes gleaming. Her breath hitched in her throat. "Demon." _

"_Very good. Now dear Rylee, I hope you didn't wish for a bright future with many more birthdays," he said. The eighteen candles distinguished engulfing them into darkness "Because it will be your last." _

The sound of Rylee's blood chilling scream startled River awake. She was disoriented and her heart raced, tears were in her eyes

"Hey, you okay?" Caleb asked.

River wiped at her eyes, thankful for the lack of light and took a deep breath. "Yeah, just fell asleep."

Caleb smiled and glanced at the clock. "Crap, its almost midnight. We better get back to the dorms. You want a ride back?"

"No, it's okay. I'll ride with Paige," River glanced at Paige expectantly. The eight made their way downstairs to the living room to where all the parents were. "Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, we didn't realize the time," Kassandra apologized with a laugh. "We just got carried away."

"It's okay. I'll see you tomorrow night. I love you." Paige kissed her mom on the cheek before saying her farewells to the other parents and leaving with the others.

As Paige shut the car door after letting River and Rylee in the back, she spoke. "What's going on, River? You seemed kind of freaked out earlier."

"I'm getting sick and tired of all of these damn nightmares! I had another one about Blake and Rylee." River angrily shoved her head in her hands. She told them about what happened this time and sighed heavily.

"River, I'm sorry. I wish there was something we could do." Rylee rubbed her friends back in comfort. "So, I'm guessing that means no Birthday party for me?"

Blake laughed. "Rylee, we can still have a party for you. We just can't be around anyone when you officially turn eighteen. Just incase something happens. That means the guys can't be anywhere near us. I don't want them to have a chance of dying as well."

It was strange how easily they could talk about dying like it was just any other ordinary conversation. But it had been nearly five years since Kevin had first told them that there was a chance they would die. And since then, they had accepted it, and were no longer afraid of dying. The only think that scared them was what would happen if Demon won and possessed their powers.

"Well we shouldn't be worrying about my party we should be worrying about Paige. In one of River's other nightmare Demon said that she would be the first to fall. So basically Paige, you aren't going to be having any moonlit picnics for a while," Rylee insinuated, laughing at her blonde friend.

Tyler parked his Hummer next to Paige's car and the guys jumped out, waiting for the girls to get out as well. "Ha, ha. Very funny." Paige flipped off Rylee and got out of the car.


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

Classes on Friday had finally came to an end but not fast enough for the students of Spenser's liking.

"Do days here at Spenser always drag on like this?" Rylee complained moodily as she plopped down on one of the bean bags that sat on River and Paige's dorm room floor.

"Come on it wasn't that bad." Blake sat on Paige's bed and turned on the TV. "River, we didn't really get to talk to you today…any nightmares last night?"

River took a seat next to Blake. "Thankfully, no. But that reminds me… I think we should have another training session soon."

The door opened and Paige walked through it shivering. "It's so freakin' cold out there! Blake a little help here?"

Blake grinned as she pulled out the blue lighter from her bag and flicked it on. The flame wavered as Blake's hand ran through it and pulled it away from the lighter. It grew and danced around her hand, growing as her eyes flashed purple. Paige rushed over to where she sat and huddled near the small fire to get warm.

"So, anyways," River started. "How about we do it tonight?"

"Yeah, let's go at midnight again. I still don't want to take a chance of someone coming out there," River said. "So we'll train tonight at midnight at the Dells."

* * *

Tyler walked down the chilly corridor of Spenser's dorm, wondering with every step if the school ever turned on it's heat. As he walked toward Paige's room he waved to his peers as he went by. He made it in front of room 211 and brought his hand up to knock on the door but the girls soft voices had him stopping. Curious as to their conversation, Tyler looked up and down the corridor. He was alone. His eyes bled black as he focused his powers on the girls conversation.

"-someone coming out there," he heard River saying. "So we'll train tonight at midnight at the Dells."

He stepped back, confused._ Training? __At the Dells? _He thought it over, wondering of one of the girls were training for some sort of sport. But it didn't make sense, all the tryouts at Spenser's had already passed. Tyler lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

Muffled hushes were heard for a few moments before the door opened. "Oh, hey Tyler," Rylee said, opening the door to let him in. Her mood improved significantly at the sight of the handsome brunette. "What's up?"

"Me and the guys were talking about going to Nicky's tonight, so I came to see if you guys wanted to come too." He looked around at the other girls and noticed the blue lighter in Blake's hand. "You smoke?"

Blake gave him a confused stare and looked down at her hand. "Oh!" She quickly shoved the lighter inside her back pack. "No, I just like playing with it."

"Oh. Well we are leaving around seven. Do you guys want a ride?" He now watched Rylee play with the hem of her skirt as she glanced at Paige. Paige shook her head.

Rylee faced Tyler and smiled widely. "No, it's okay we'll meet you guys there." She bounced to kiss him on the cheek then turned to the girls. "I'm going get a shower and start on my homework, see you guys later."

Paige made sure the door was shut before she took a pillow and launched it at Tyler. It hit him square in the face. "Ugh! What was that for?"

Paige giggled. "Just for fun. Now get out of here, we have to get ready."

"You need 3 hours to get ready?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. The girls nodded their heads and Paige shooed him out the door. "I'll never understand you girls."

Tyler made his way back to the dorm room he shared with Reid. When he opened the door he found Caleb and Pogue in the room too.

"The girls are going to meet us there," Tyler said. Reid walked out of the half bathroom that connected to the room. "Well at least we don't have to wait for them to get ready."

Taking a seat on his bed, Tyler asked, "Are the girls trying out for anything?"

Not looking away from the TV screen, Pogue shook his head. "Not that I know of. Why?"

Tyler paused. "The girls mentioned something about going to the Dells tonight around midnight to train."

With a questioning stare, Caleb turned to Tyler. "And how do you know this Tyler?"

He avoided Caleb's gaze as he explained. "Well I kinda eavesdropped in on their conversation when I was outside of their door. They said something about training and that they didn't want to be caught."

"Caught doing what, exactly?" Pogue asked, stretching his large muscled arms tensing as he did so.

"I don't know. I was going to ask them but I didn't want them to know that I was being nosy and listening to their conversations…" Tyler trailed off. "We should see what they are up to, you know? I don't know about you, but I think it's a little weird that they going to the Dells."

The other boys shook their heads in amusement, Reid walked toward the door with his shower things in hand. "Sounds like a plan, Baby Boy."

* * *

Later that night at Nicky's, Paige and Reid challenged Tyler and Rylee to a game of pool after they were done eating. River and Caleb decided to sit and relax just to talk, so they stayed at the table with their heads close together in conversation.

Blake on the other hand was in the mood to dance so she grabbed Pogue and dragged him to the dance floor where "Beep" by the Pussycat Dolls was playing.

"Aw! They are so freakin' cute!" Rylee shouted from the side of the pool table, pointing to the dancing couple.

Blake was dancing around Pogue singing the girls part, letting her hand run across his back then around to his. Then it was Pogue's turn to sing the guys part. He pulled Blake flush against him so they were chest to chest, placed a light kiss on her forehead then one on her mouth for a heated kiss.

Tyler shook his head laughing, "Get a room!" he yelled to his friend. In response he got a middle finger and a grin from Blake who copied Pogue's gesture before pulling her boyfriend back into another kiss.

Paige shoved Tyler on the shoulder as Reid wrapped his arms around her waist. "Leave them alone Ty and take your shot."

"Alright, alright." Tyler leaned over the pool table and lined up his shot. He hit the cue ball which hit the solid yellow ball, knocking it right into the corner pocket.

"Nice shot, Tyler!" Rylee beamed, rewarding Tyler with a kiss on the cheek.

Caleb sat watching the game from afar. "She really likes him, doesn't she?"

River went to answer but something at the bar grabbed her attention. Two familiar looking men sat staring at Paige and Rylee with intense gazes.

"River?" Caleb waved a hand in front of her eyes, bringing her attention back to him.

"Hmm?" She looked into his dark eyes. "Sorry. I just thought I saw someone I knew." River's eyes flicked back to the bar but the two men were no longer there. "What did you say?"

Caleb followed her gaze then looked back at her. "I said that Rylee really likes Tyler doesn't she."

"Oh, yeah she does. Same with Blake." She jabbed her thumb to the dance area, giggling. "As you can see."

He followed her gaze again as he took a sip from his drink but ended up spraying it across the table when his gaze fell on his friends. Blake and Pogue were in a full make out session on the dance floor, ignoring all the other dancers.

_Chill out Blake your gonna suffocate him_, River spoke to her using telepathy. Blake pulled away from her boyfriend reluctantly to glare at where River sat.

The pair made their way over to the table panting somewhat and sat down across from River and Caleb. After a few moments of comfortable silence Pogue spoke. "So ladies, what are your plans after this?"

Blake glanced quickly at River before answering. "Oh, well we're probably just gonna crash. What about you guys?" She asked as she grabbed Pogue's hand in hers under the table, trying to get the subject off of the girls.

"Probably the same. You guys going back to the dorms or to Paige's?" Caleb asked the two, placing his arm around River's shoulder pulling her a bit closer to him.

"Paige's, I think," River replied before taking a couple of fries from in front of her and shoving them in her mouth.

"Alright, bathroom break for me," Blake stood up and walked to the other side of the bar. Feeling as if someone's gaze was on her, she looked around and stopped dead in her tracks. Two men watched her with extreme interest, and as she met their stare, a small shiver ran up her spine. The blonde man smirked at her, before both stood and walked out the back door of Nicky's.

Blake's conscious told her not to follow them but her feet thought otherwise as they carried her to the open door. As she walked out into the chilly night air, she looked up and down the small alley. It was empty. Taking a guess, she turned to her left and quietly made her way down the side street. She rounded the corner, preparing for confrontation but no one was there.

"Hello there, beautiful," a voice said from behind her. She spun on her heels, coming face to face with the two men she had been following. The blonde stalked toward her as the other man, a red head, sneered. His eyes roamed over her body hungrily.

"You know," said the blonde as he stopped feet from her. "I don't like being followed."

"I wasn't following anyone," Blake said. "I was looking for someone."

The red head stepped forward and held out his arms. "Well, you found us."

Blake slowly reached for her back pocket where she always kept her lighter. If she need to fight to protect herself, she didn't care about exposing her powers. These guys gave her the wrong feeling. And the way they were stalking toward her, she knew they were up to no good.

Suddenly, her name sounded from the back door of Nicky's. "Blake?" Pogue's voice called again. The men head's whipped around at the sound; their eyes met, and without another word, they raced around Blake and disappeared around the building.

Blake watched them go, the adrenaline she felt seconds ago still pumping through her veins. "What are you doing out here?" The stern voice caused her head to jerk around. Pogue stood before her with worried eyes.

She glanced back at the way the two disappeared. "I thought I saw someone I knew so I followed them."

Pogue's eyebrows pulled together. "And?"

Blake took a deep breath as the adrenaline left her veins, leaving her shaky and cold. She wrapped her arms around his middle and pulled herself close. "I didn't know them," she answered, shivering within his embrace.

"Come on, let's get you inside." Pogue led her back into the bar and to their table full of friends. The music was loud, the sound made Blake's ribcage vibrate.

"Wow, it's getting pretty late," Paige said, glancing down at her phone that sat on the table. "You guys ready to leave?"

"Yeah," Blake said, knowing the reason why Paige wanted to leave. She stood on her toes and kissed Pogue's lips.

"Call me tomorrow?" he asked.

"Definitely." With one last kiss and saying goodbye to the others. The three walked from the bar and piled into Paige's car.

* * *

A half an hour later, Reid walked down Paige's driveway toward Tyler's Hummer. "Well, her car is here but they aren't," Reid called, speaking to the other three Sons.

"Are you sure they just aren't out of the room?" Caleb asked, worry seeped through him.

"Yeah, dude. I looked all over the house." Reid jumped into the passenger side and shook his head. "They're not there."

"Well how in the hell did they get to the Dells? Walk?" Pogue laughed, closing the door as Tyler started the Hummer. Ten minutes later they pulled up to the cliff at the Dells and all got out to walk to the edge.

"They could be anywhere." Tyler looked down at the foggy ground below. That was when he saw it. "Look," Tyler said, pointing to small clearing at the foot of the cliffs where a the light of a fire could be seen threw the trees. "You think that's them?"

"Only one way to find out." Reid's eyes flashed fire then turned black and stepped off the cliff, landing unharmed at the bottom. A few seconds later Tyler, Pogue and Caleb stood next to him, their eyes back to normal.

Caleb walked past Reid and towards the woods. "Come on, guys. Let's go find them."

* * *

After lighting a fire, Blake walked to the center of the clearing next to Rylee, River and Paige. "You guys ready? Everyone against each other. No holdin-" The snapping of a branch made Blake stop mid sentence.

"Did you hear that?" Rylee asked in a hushed voice, her blue eyes scanning the surrounding area. She turned to her dark haired friend. "River."

"Got it." River's eyes changed to lime green as her senses became that of a wolf. She closed her eyes and listened. "Four of them coming from the left."

Paige looked to her left and her eyes grew wide. "Oh my god…" Four figures made their way into the clearing. "Reid….Caleb…. Guys. What are you doing here?"

"We could ask you the same question," Pogue said folding arms across his chest, taking a few steps closer to his girlfriend. "You told us you were going to crash when you got home, Blake. What the hell are you doing out here this late at night? It's dangerous."

Before she could answer, River held up a hand, silencing them. She turned her face away from the guys, her eyes flashing lime green another time. "Someone else is coming."

"I don't hear…" Tyler stopped speaking after hearing a deep laugh coming from behind them. He spun face to face with two men familiar looking men.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here Ian, a little party." The tall blonde spoke to the short red head, observing the group in front of him. "These are the four in the prophecy?"

"They don't look all that special if you ask me, Gareth." Ian walked right up to Rylee who was standing nearest to them. "Very pretty girls, though." He ran his hand across her cheek. Rylee slapped it away.

"Leave the girls alone, they have nothing to do with this," Caleb spoke rationally, walking a few steps in Ian and Gareth's direction.

Gareth let out a loud bark of laughter, throwing his head up to the sky. "They have everything to do with this."

Out of nowhere, Gareth was thrown off his feet as a ball of electricity hit him in the chest. He fell with a heavy thud a dozen yards away.

"Paige! Get them out of here!" Blake bellowed, pushing Pogue toward the other three boys as she pulled out the lighter from her jean pocket. Her eyes flashed with purple. Paige raced toward Reid and the others, her eyes changing from her normal blue to a glowing pink.

As soon as Paige reached them, the scenery around them changed. Seconds later they stood in the living room of Paige's house. The boys fell to the ground.

"You'll be safe here."

Four pairs of eyes landed on Paige at the same time.

"Paige..." Reid spoke slowly. His blue eyes locked on her pink ones before disappearing.

Tyler stared at the spot where Paige only seconds ago stood. "What the hell is going on?"

* * *

Paige appeared back at the Dells, looking around frantically and ready for a fight. The silent night around her had her heart pounding violently in her chest. It was too quiet. "Guys?" she called as loud as she could.

"Paige!" A muffled shout came from deeper within the woods. A wave of relief ran threw Paige's body as she recognized River's voice. She made her way threw the thick trees and to where the voice came from.

"I missed the fight?" Paige asked as she climbed over the fallen tree with a large hole in the middle of it that was burning red around the edges. She looked to Blake. "You do this?"

"You should have seen the little red headed bastard. He was running around me like freakin' Speedy Gonzalez." Blake replied, ripping her shirt around the stomach and taking the extra cloth to wrap around her bleeding arm. "That's gonna hurt in the morning."

River was back to her normal self, though now completely naked. "I didn't have time to undress." She looked down sadly at the pile of shredded cloth in her hands. Paige took off her jacket she had on and tossed it to River. "Where's Rylee?"

"Right here." Paige looked up to see Rylee had been mostly unharmed except for a dark bruise that was starting to form across her cheek. "So what was that about?"

"I don't know. The fight only last less than a minute before they spilt," Blake spoke after bandaging her wound. "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? You know, them chasing us instead of us going after them."

River shrugged her shoulders. "Well I don't want to wait around here and see if they come back with more people so let's get out of here."

"That was Demon's two henchmen," Paige said. She had suddenly recognized the two men from the description River had told her from her nightmares.

Rylee rolled her eyes. "No shit, Sherlock. They were also the guys that Blake followed at Nicky's earlier tonight."

"We should have been more careful. I mean Kevin did warn us possible others," Paige spoke, running a hand through her blonde hair.

"Well, that's not our only problem now," Blake looked at River slightly confused. "We have some explaining to do."

In less then five seconds all four girls stood in the middle of Paige's dark bedroom. Rylee's eyes flashed golden-yellow and the lights flipped on.

"Where are they?" Blake asked looking around the room then walked towards the door not even waiting for an answer.

"Wait!" Paige grabbed Blake's uninjured arm. "We should dress your wound before we go down there and River you should just get dressed." Paige said as she reached for her first aid kit from under her bed. She pulled out a pack gauze and a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide and begin dressing Blake's arm.

Once everyone was bandaged and clothed, Paige walked to the door. "Let's get this over with." Opening the door, the sound of loud voices reached them. "Are they trying to wake up my mother?"

The four raced down the stairs and into the living room where they saw a red faced Reid yelling Caleb's face.

"We can't just sit here like a bunch of fucking…" His sentence faded as he noticed four girls standing at the entrance to the living room.

"What's going on?" Caleb spoke, eyes soft at the sight of seeing the four of them safe. Though his voice was hard and his stance rigid.

"There's no easy way to say this. So I'm just gonna throw it out there," Paige said with a shaky voice as she walked fully into the living room. "But you have to swear an oath that what we are about to tell you will not leave this room, do you understand me?"

All four boys nodded their heads in silent agreement as they waiting for an explanation. Paige turned around to Rylee, River and Blake who had walked into the room behind her and sat on the couch opposite from where the guys stood. She took a deep breath."From the beginning I guess..."

Each girl took turns describing in detail of how they came to get their powers. They spoke of everything from the bizarre lightening storm that had given them power and Kevin and the Keeper of Prophecies to the prophecy itself, Demon and his henchmen, and then lastly, what their abilities were.

A half an hour and many interruptions later, Paige finally summed up the explanation. "River is a shifter, she can shift into a wolf. Rylee has electro-kinesis, Blake can manipulate fire, and as you found out from earlier… I can teleport. We all have added strength, the ability to heal faster and we can use telepathy to speak with each other."

"And on Rylee's 18th birthday, the protection charm that was placed on us will be lifted and Demon will be able to locate us," River explained. "Which means one of two things: One, we fulfill the prophecy and kill Demon, or two, we don't and we die."

Pogue ran a hand through his long hair, letting out a low whistle. Tyler was sitting in a small chair with his mouth slightly open in shock but shut it quickly. Reid looked anywhere but at Paige.

"You have powers," Caleb breathed looking at each girl in turn. "Wow."

The girls exchanged nervous glances as they watched the Sons of Ipswich. River stood up and walked to stand in front of Caleb. "I know it sounds crazy and hard to believe," she lifted her hands so her palms rested on his chest. "Witches, prophecies, evil bad guys….but it's true."

"There's a chance you'll die?" Pogue asked. His face fell when Blake nodded.

"We won't let that happen," Tyler said firmly. "We can help them. Tell them Caleb."

Caleb turned to look at Pogue. "Okay," he said then turned back to River. She stumbled back a few feet in surprise because she was no longer looking into chocolate brown eyes but was now staring at two black ones.

"We have our own secret, too." Reid said from beside Caleb, his eyes also black as night.

"Your…" Paige spoke as she raised from her seat, moving closer to the blonde. "You guys are witches?"

Blake and Rylee were at Paige's side now also in shock at the sudden change of eye color and discovery.

"You could say that," Pogue said as he walked around the six of them and towards Blake, his eyes now back to their normal color. "Remember our first date? When we said ancestors were original settlers of Ipswich? Every generation the bloodlines produce only one child, a male. At age thirteen they get a taste of these powers and at age eighteen they fully mature, like yours do. But it is extremely seductive and there are consequences."

Blake placed her hands on either side of Pogue's face so that she was looking him right in the eyes. "What do you mean consequences?"

"If we Use too much it's like taking days or even years off of our life and we age," Tyler answered for Pogue. "That's why we are careful." He glanced at Reid. "Well, most of us."

"Well if it ages you when you Use then you are not helping us, Tyler," Rylee said sternly, frowning at him. "We will not risk you guys getting hurt over us."

"Don't be stupid, Rylee. We are going to help whether you like it or not," Tyler snapped back. "We are not just going to stand by and let you go against this Demon guy and take a chance of losing all of you."

Reid's gaze flashed toward Paige then down at the floor. He couldn't even bare to think that he might lose her, or any of his friends. "Tyler's right," Reid said, speaking for the first time, staring at Paige. "We will not lose any of you even if it means I get ten years knocked off my life."

River opened her mouth to argue but was cut off when Caleb brought his finger up to her lips. "You can argue as much as you want to River but we will be there to help you, to fight next to you."

The two of them stared at one another like they were the only ones left in the room. Paige smiled then caught Reid's arm and pulled him quietly out of the living room, the rest of the group other then Caleb and River, followed her out.

Caleb smiled as he glanced down from River's eyes to her lips, his other arm slinked around her waist pulling her closer. River grinned widely standing on her tip toes bringing her lips to meet his in a light kiss.

"Its about time," She whispered before capturing his lips again. Caleb laughed lightly into the kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12 

An evil laugh echoed off the walls of the large cave, sending a chill down the spines of the men who stood before their Master. The only other sound that could be heard was the crashing of the waves that lingered just outside of the caves opening.

"So a shifter, a teleporter," Demon paused, "one with electro-kinesis and the other can manipulate fire…..interesting."

Another sprang once again from Demon's cold lips but this time the laughter rippled throughout the group. The only two that did not laugh were Gareth and Ian who had cuts and scraps covering their bodies.

"Why so glum?" A man with dark shoulder length hair mocked the two in amusement.

"Well, Adrian I think it must be the fact that they fought four girls and got the shit kicked out of them," a short blonde haired man replied with a smirk.

Demon held up a hand to silence the crowd. "It was by my instruction that they fought with the girls in the first place. They, like I and everyone of you, cannot cause harm to these girls because of the protection charm that still lays over them. But in less than three weeks the youngest will come of age and the charm will vanish," his lips twisted in a sadistic grin, "and they will die."

* * *

"Wow. So it's been what? A half an hour since we left them alone?" Pogue said as he glanced down at his watch. "You think it's safe to go back in?"

Blake laughed and tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. "I don't know, but we shouldn't let them get too carried away." With a wind at the others she walked out of the kitchen and cautiously into the living room. The others followed.

Reid smirked at the sight of the two still locked at the lips. "It's about time you got some, oh fearless leader." The couple jumped at the sound of his voice. A light shade of pink brushed their cheeks.

"Uh.. we didn't hear you come in." River looked at the others, her breathing heavy. Caleb glared at Reid.

"We know." Pogue, Blake and Tyler said in unison, smirks on their faces. Paige and Rylee hid their faces trying to not show their amusement in their friend's embarrassment.

There was a moment of silence that Tyler had broken before it went on for too long. "Can we see your powers?"

In response, the iris of her eyes changed from blue to golden-yellow as a small ball of electricity grew from nothing in the palm of her hand. It grew and grew until it was the size of a beach ball and threw it across the room and into the unopened window.

"Oops," Rylee breathed as glass showered the large living room. But before the glass could hit the floor, they froze for a fraction of a second then floated back up to the window frame, mending itself back together.

Rylee's mouth fell open in shock and glanced around the room, her eyes falling on the dark black eyes of Tyler Simms.

"Hey!" she yelled, rounding on the youngest Son of Ipswich. "Don't do that again if it ages you, you dumb ass!"

Tyler was taken aback but then a small laugh escaped him. "Rylee, it's okay. Something that small doesn't effect us unless you use all the time. And I barely Use."

She smiled in apology and turned to River. "Okay, your turn to show yours."

"Right, but the guys have to turn around." River looked at the guys with serious eyes. They stared back in confusion. "I can't shift with clothes on or they rip and I just got these jeans."

"Wait, you have to be naked?" Reid said with a smirk. Paige slapped him in the back of the head. "Okay, okay we'll turn around. Sheesh."

Once their backs were turned, River's dark eyes changed to a glowing lime green as she shifted into a large gray wolf. The transformation didn't hurt. In fact, she didn't feel a think. One moment she was human, and the next she was a large animal with wolf instincts. She barked softly, signaling for the others that it was okay to look.

"Damn your huge!" Pogue spoke without thinking. River barred her teeth, growling. "I meant that in a good way."

Paige shook her head. "She has heightened senses when she uses. But she doesn't have to be shifted into a wolf to use them which comes in handy a lot."

Caleb glanced at Paige then back at River. "Paige, you weren't kidding when you said she was an animal."

Everyone except Paige had a confused expression on their face. "Did we miss something?" Tyler asked rubbing the back of his neck. Paige and Caleb just nodded and laughed.

River barked twice at Blake then whined. "Turn around guys she is gonna shift back…. No peeking, Caleb." Blake playfully shoved Caleb as he turned around for the second time.

A minute later River gave the O.K. for the guys to look. "Your turn, just don't catch anything on fire," she said to Blake.

Blake laughed then reached into her jean pocket for her blue lighter. Backing away from the others, her eyes glowed purple. She flicked on the lighter and pulled the flame from it with her hand, making it grow. After a few minutes she put the cigarette lighter back in her pocket, grinning.

"Damn. You guys are bad asses," Pogue said in awe watching his girlfriend. "Now you can see ours." His eyes bled black but Blake stopped him.

"No. I don't want you to Use on silly things like this. I think we have had enough of a show tonight and I'm tired. And I know Paige is exhausted." Pogue nodded in understanding then turned to Paige.

"When I teleport more than one person at a time it takes a lot out of me. Not that I get weak or anything I just get extremely tired," Paige explained. "It's really late… well, really early now. You guys can take the spare bedrooms, I have five of them."

The clock told them that it was nearing 3:30 in the morning. Paige led them out of the living room and up the stairs, pointing to the first room on the left. "You and Pogue can take this one if you like, Blake." The couple made their way into the room after saying good night to the rest of them.

Paige stopped in front of her room. "Ty and Rylee, there's a room at the end of the hall on your right. River and Caleb, turn left down the hallway and the other room is straight ahead." They nodded, said their goodnights, and headed off to their rooms.

"Play nicely, boys." Reid called after them, receiving a middle finger from Tyler and dirty looks from the girls.

"Shut up, Reid," Paige said as she walked into her room, turned on her lights and shut her door. "Leave them alone."

"Speaking of alone…" Reid brought his hands to Paige's hips, pulling her close. His lips brushed over hers teasingly before placing them fully on her mouth for a heated kiss. His fingerless gloved hands roamed lower to her pants and found their way to the front.

"Reid." Paige pushed his hands away but they found their way back again within seconds, this time succeeding in unbuttoning them. She stepped back from him. "Stop, Reid."

"Sorry," Reid closed the space between them and brought his hands to her face. "I'm sorry."

Paige looked up at him, grinning. "Wow, Garwin. Two apologizes from you in the last second."

Reid smirked at her jumped onto Paige's bed. "Yeah, well don't get used to it. I have a reputation to protect." With a roll of her eyes, Paige grabbed a pair of black sweat pants and a tank top from her dresser and walked into her bathroom.

Ten minutes later she stepped out of her bathroom to find Reid fast asleep in her bed. Paige walked to the other side of the room to turn the lights off and blindly found her way to bed. In the moonlight that filtered through the window, Paige watched Reid sleep. His chest rose and fell evenly, his face was more peaceful than she had ever seen it. With a content sigh, she leaned back, head against her pillow and found the Connection she shared with the girls.

_Tonight was pretty intense, _she said with an inward sigh.

_**You mean with the guys or with the Demon's two henchmen? **_River's voice echoed in her head.

_Both, _Paige thought back._ And we have less than three weeks until Rylee's birthday when we are supposed to have this epic battle. I'd be lying if I said I'm not worried about making it out alive… we have no idea what Demon is capable off. _

_**Paige, have faith!**_Came Blake's voice._** We've been training really hard for this, we are prepared as we are ever gonna to be. We have the guys now wanting to help. As much as I don't want it, you know they are set on fighting with us. **_

Paige sighed heavily and turned on her side so that she faced the sleeping form of Reid. Her fingertips gently brushed over his lips. _I don't want to lose anyone._

_We don't either, _spoke Rylee. _We don't either._

* * *

The next morning Rylee woke up in the arms of Tyler Simms. His messy dark hair fell on his forehead, his mouth hung open a bit as he breathed deeply in his sleep. She ran her finger lightly down his bare chest, her eyes following her movement.

"That tickles."

Rylee snatched her hand away and looked up into his blue eyes. A deep blush painted her cheeks. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Tyler laughed and pulled Rylee closer to him, placing a light kiss on her forehead. "I hope you don't mind my half-nakedness, I just hate sleeping in a shirt and jeans."

It was then she noticed that the only article of clothing Tyler wore were his boxers. She blushed a deeper shade of red. "Oh."

"You're so cute." Tyler stood up from the king sized bed to pull on his jeans and shirt. Rylee stretched before getting up herself to make her way to the attached bathroom.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face Rylee walked out of the bathroom. She looked around the large room but didn't see Tyler anywhere. "Tyler?"

Nothing but silence replied her as she walked past the walk-in closet. "BOO!" someone yelled, jumping out of the closet. Rylee screamed loudly.

"Whoa, Rylee! I didn't mean to scare you that much," Tyler said as he pulled her into a comforting hug. A hand clutched at her heart as a weak laugh escaped her.

"You scared this shit out of me," she said. "Please, don't do that again."

"Sorry," he said, brushing her hair from her face. He stared at her for a few moments, his blue eyes intent on her. "Rylee, will you be my girlfriend?"

Rylee blinked in surprise. A smile so wide practically pulled her lips to her ears as she linked her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his.

"I take that as a yes," Tyler said before pulling her into another kiss.

* * *

Paige walked into the kitchen to see her mother, Kassandra sitting at the kitchen counter sipping at her coffee. "Good morning, Paige." Her eyes widened in surprise as Reid Garwin walked in behind her.

"Reid," Kassandra said, glancing between him and her daughter. "What are you doing here this early?"

"Well, before I answer that I have something to tell you first," Paige said, walking closer to her mom who immediately looked worried. Paige explained what happened the previous night about the small fight that went on at the Dells and about the guys finding out about their powers and the Prophecy.

"So you know everything?" Kassandra asked Reid.

"Yes," Paige answered for him. "But they won't tell anyone about it, I swear. They actually want to help-" She cut herself short, preparing to explain but before she could, her mom spoke.

"Help? Oh, yes. Your mother told me about your Covenant when you first received your powers," She said simply. Reid's mouth hung open. "Don't look so shocked, Reid. You mother and I have been best friends since you were little, did you really expect her to keep a secret that big from me?"

Reid shrugged his shoulders and closed his mouth. Paige looked annoyed. "And you didn't tell me?" she asked.

Kassandra shook her head. "It wasn't my secret to tell. She confided in me as I did with her. She knows about your powers as well. Don't be angry with me, Paige. If you were me you would have done the same thing."

Paige thought about it for a second and agreed with her mother and apologized. "What's for breakfast?"

"Unfortunately I haven't been to the grocery store so there is barely any food in the house," Kassandra smiled as she reached for her purse and pulled out a credit card. "So how about you and your friends go out for breakfast? My treat."

"Thanks, mom. Reid let's go wake up the others!" Paige grabbed the card and pulled Reid from the room. But instead of walking up the stairs, Paige teleported them to the second floor.

"You shouldn't do that you lazy ass," Reid said as they stood in front of the room Pogue and Blake had stayed in the night before. "What if they're…you know." Reid wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Reid Andrew Garwin!" Paige scolded, hitting him on the arm. "Blake would not do that...this early in a relationship, at least." She laughed before slowly opening the door to see that both Blake and Pogue were fast asleep.

Paige tiptoed her way over to the bed as Reid watched from the hallway. Giggling silently, Paige grabbed the end of the covers and ripped them off the bed yelling, "WAKE UP!"

Blake jumped in surprise and fell off the bed in the process. "I hate you," her muffled voice came from the ground. Pogue slowly opened his eyes looking around confused.

"Where's my girlfriend?" he asked. Paige pointed to the other side of the bed, trying to fight off her laughter.

Pogue crawled to where she had pointed to and saw that Blake was curled up on the ground attempting to go back asleep. "Come on baby, get off the ground." He climbed off the bed and picked her up with ease.

"We are going out to breakfast. Be ready in an hour." Paige turned on her heels, grabbed Reid's hand on the way out of the room and closed the door.

"Your very cheery in the morning," Reid said sleepily through a large yawn as Paige dragged him down to the other guest rooms.

"I'm a morning person," she replied, stopping in front of the room that occupied Rylee and Tyler. She reached for the door knob but it opened up before her touch. "Hey Ty! Did you guys sleep good?"

"Yeah. Reid what the hell are you doing up this early?" Tyler asked the blonde.

Reid yawned again and jabbed his thumb in Paige's direction. "Morning person and she wouldn't let me go back to sleep."

"Yeah him, too," a sleepy voice came from behind them. Tyler, Reid, Paige and Rylee turned to see Caleb and River walking down the hallway towards them.

"Morning," Caleb greeted with a smile. "What's up?"

"Morning." The four replied, though Paige said it with a little more enthusiasm.

"Going out for breakfast. Be ready in an hour," Reid said, walking away from the group and back down the hall toward Paige's room.

An hour later the eight of them stood in the foyer of Paige's house. "Crap, we only have my car. How are we going to get everyone to town? My car only seats four," Paige said as she pulled on her black tweed jacket and a cream scarf.

"Shit! My car's still at the Dells!" Tyler panicked, grabbing the key's from his pocket.

"Tyler Alexander Simms, watch your mouth," Kassandra said as entered the foyer from the kitchen. Tyler smiled apologetically.

"I'll go get it. Be back soon." With pink eyes, Paige disappeared from where she stood. Nearly fifteen minutes later a car's engine was heard. The others made their way out into the chilly morning air.

"Ty, just to let you know I love your car and I'm driving it," Paige yelled through the window from the drivers seat of the Hummer.

Tyler rolled his eyes then looked at Paige's car. It sat shiny and new in the driveway. "Fine by me."

* * *

"Rylee, could be any slower?" Blake groaned as she and everyone else waited for the brunette to finish eating.

"Hey let my girlfriend enjoy her meal." Tyler said. He proudly slung his arm around Rylee's shoulder and grinned.

"Girlfriend?" River asked with a smile. Tyler nodded his head. "That's awesome!"

Paige winked at Rylee, happy for her younger friend. But at the same time she felt a little left out. All of her girlfriends had these amazing boyfriends and here Paige sat boyfriend-less. Sure, Reid and her acted like a couple but they were more like friends with benefits in a way. Paige wanted more than that…and she wanted it with Reid.

"Done," Rylee said, bringing Paige out of her thoughts. She set her fork down on the table just as the a new waiter walked up.

"Sorry about the switch of waiters," said a cute blonde boy. "Ben had just gotten sick and was sent home." His round lips pushed together. "Maybe it wasn't the best thing to say to customers."

"Yeah, probably," Paige laughed, gaining his attention. She looked at him closer and smiled. "Hey, you're in my Biology class."

"Paige Elliot, right?" he asked. "I thought you looked familiar. I'm Corey-"

"Can we have our check now?" Reid interrupted rudely. "We've been waiting awhile."

"Uh, yeah sorry about that. I'll be right back with it." Corey walked away from the table.

Paige turned to Reid, eyes narrowed. "Well that was a little rude, don't you think?"

Reid's gaze met hers with angry eyes. "I don't like the guy. He's friends with Aaron Abbott." Pogue, Tyler, Caleb and the girls purposefully started a different conversation amongst themselves, leaving the two to fight without an audience.

"So?" She responded, feeling her blood boil. Why was he being so mean?

"So, I don't like him. Just drop it, Elliot." Reid retorted glaring once again as Corey approached the table with the bill. He held it up but didn't hand it over. Instead, he ripped it up and let the pieces fall to the table.

"My treat." He smiled and grabbed a few empty plates and loaded them onto a tray.

"That's really nice of you," Paige said with a smile. "Thank you."

"No problem. You guys have a nice day. See you in class, Paige." With that said, he walked away with a hand full of plates.

"That was nice of him," River said as the eight of them walked out of the front doors of the small diner. The October air was cold but the warm sunlight made their eyes squint painfully. As they walked, Pogue wrapped his arm around Blake.

"First swim meet is next week. You guys ready to kick some ass?" he asked, speaking to the Caleb, Reid and Tyler.

"Hell yeah!" Tyler said enthusiastically, throwing his fist in the air. "You girls should come cheer us on."

Rylee grinned at her boyfriend. "Well, of course. What kind of girlfriends would we be if we didn't support our boyfriends?"

"The mean kind, so we will be there," River laughed. "Maybe we should paint our bodies the school colors and make posters and stuff." Reid was the only one who didn't join in on the laughter, but it went unnoticed by the others.

"It's on Thursday after school," Caleb informed, intertwining his fingers with his girlfriend's. "Who wants some hot chocolate?"

Reid stood next to Paige but did not speak to her, and when she reached for his hand he pretended to not see it and kept walking to the small café around the corner. She huffed angrily as they entered the warm and cozy café.

"You girls grab a table, what would you all like?" Pogue asked, mentally taking down the orders before the four guys walked to the counter.

Blake, Rylee, Paige and River found two tables close to the door and pulled them together so it was big enough to seat all eight of them. Once situated, Blake turned in her seat so she was facing Paige. "So that Corey guy was pretty cute, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Paige said but her mind was too occupied with thoughts of Reid.

"Paige, he paid for the freaking meal. He is so into you!" River nearly shouted. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her head on her hands.

"Whatever guys, he was just trying to be nice," Paige snapped. The guys were walking towards them now, carrying their drinks. "Just drop it, okay?"

"Your such a stubborn ass," Rylee said just as Tyler set down a tall hot chocolate in front of her and took the seat to her left. River, Blake and Caleb also got hot chocolate, while Pogue settled for just a black coffee. Reid sat down next to Paige before handing her the second drink in his hand.

"Tall White Chocolate Mocha with whip cream," he said with a small smile.

_Bipolar much? _Paige thought. She sipped her drink and settled into the warmth that it gave her. River curled into Caleb's side and kissed his cheek, enjoying the comfortable silence that settled among the group.

Though it didn't last long because a soft feminine voice broke the silence. "Caleb?"


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13

_I know that voice, _Caleb thought as he turned to the sound.. A pretty blonde stood behind him, a large smile on her flawless face. His jaw fell slack in shock at seeing his ex-girlfriend. "Sarah," he finally said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on break for school so I thought I'd come pay a visit to my aunt, she lives just outside of Ipswich. And then I figured since I was nearby I'd come see you and the guys." Sarah smiled around at the Sons before her gaze went to the girls. "Who are your friends?"

Paige sat forward and offered Sarah her hand. "Hi, I'm Paige. I grew up with the guys," she said. Gesturing to the other girls, she introduced them in turn. "This is Rylee, Blake and-"

"River," said River, eyeing Sarah with unease. "Caleb's girlfriend."

Sarah's smile faltered as her gaze went to Caleb's arm that was lightly wrapped around the dark haired girls shoulder. "Girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Caleb said, shifting in his seat under his ex's gaze. "River's my girlfriend."

"Oh," Sarah breathed. "Um. Caleb can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

Caleb glanced around at his friends, his gaze landing on his girlfriend for a second longer. She nodded her okay and offered a small smile. Caleb stood up from his seat and shrugged on his jacket as he followed Sarah outside.

"So, that's Sarah?" River asked, her voice a pitch higher than normal.

Pogue stared out the window where he could clearly see his best friend and Sarah. "Yeah that's her. I don't know why she's back though. I mean, she made it pretty clear the day she left that she wanted nothing to do with him… or any of us for that matter."

"Don't worry about it, River," Tyler said. "Caleb likes you a lot, and that won't change."

River nodded but kept quiet. Her brown eyed gaze went to where her boyfriend of only a day stood next to his beautiful ex-girlfriend. Jealously shot through her at the sight of Sarah stepping closer to Caleb, too close for her liking. River growled under her breath.

"Ow! Shit!" The coffee cup full of steaming hot chocolate that once was secured in her hand was now dripping down her arm and across the table.

"Damn it, River!" Reid yelled as the hot liquid poured onto his lap. Paige snickered.

"What do you think she is saying?" Rylee spoke softly from Tyler's side, completely ignoring Reid's cursing. She stared at the two who were just outside of the glass window.

Outside the café, Caleb crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you really doing here, Sarah?"

"I want you back," Sarah said softly. "I was stupid for breaking up with you but I was scared. I'm so sorry that I hurt you, that I left you. I miss you, Caleb and I want you back." She took a step closer to him, waiting for him to speak.

"Sarah," he breathed. He would be lying if he said he hadn't wished a thousand times for her to come back to him. But things have changed, he had River now and he really cared for her. Caleb glanced through the window just in time to see his girlfriend squeeze her coffee cup, sending hot liquid flying across the table. He laughed slightly then turned his gaze back to Sarah.

"Things have changed, Sarah." Caleb used a soft but firm voice to get his point across. "I'm dating River now and I really care about her."

She nodded her head, eyes clouded with unshed tears. "I guess I should have figured something like this would happen. Well, maybe I will see you around sometime? I'll be here for the week."

The only response Caleb had was a nod. He hated to hurt her but what he said was true, he really did care for River and he didn't want to ruin what he had with her over something that he knew would never work out.

Sarah gave him a small smile before turning to walk away from him slowly. She listened with intent ears hoping he would change his mind and call after her. Nothing. _Well that didn't go as planned, _she thought with a scowl now on her pretty features. _I've got some work to do._

Caleb sighed in relief as he watched her walk away. _That was easier than I expected. _He shivered slightly from the cold and quickly made his way back inside to his friends.

"Hey ," Pogue greeted, curiosity on his face. Caleb smiled then turned to River who was avoiding his gaze and busied herself by trying to clean up the mess she had made. He walked straight up to her and cupped her face between his palms, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"How's your hand?" He laughed as he examined her hand for imaginary wounds.

* * *

The rest of the weekend flew by all too fast. The Sarah incident had been purposefully shoved to the back of everyone's minds, going on like it never had occurred. Paige and Reid were back to normal though their relationship status was still the same as before.

Monday afternoon Paige walked into her biology class and quickly took her seat, letting her mind wonder to the previous weekend.

_Flashback _

"_So Rylee's birthday is in two weeks and we need to_ _figure out some sort of game plan." River spoke from beside Caleb. "At exactly fourteen minutes until midnight the charm that protects us from being located or harmed by Demon and his henchmen will be broken."_

_Reid looked up confused. "Wait, didn't Blake and Rylee get hurt when those two goons attacked Friday at the Dells?"_

_Blake shook her head, smiling at the blonde Son of Ipswich. "I wasn't harmed by them. I got in the way of one of Rylee's electric balls, so that was my own fault. Though Rylee got the black eye from the blonde one, he realized that his powers didn't harm us, so he started throwing punches."_

"_But he only fought long enough to make sure his red-headed friend could escape from me," River added with a smirk as she remember the panicked look on the red head's face when she pounced on him. "But anyway back to Rylee's birthday."_

_Paige stood up and started pacing around her living room. "I think the safest place to be is at the Dells. It's familiar to us and nobody besides us usually sets foot there anymore." She turned quickly to the guys. "I don't think it's safe for you guys. Its bad enough that we are going into the battle with our eyes closed. We have no idea what Demon is capable of…" _

"_Paige don't be stupid, we went through this before… we are not letting you guys do this alone." Caleb spoke firmly, his face set. Paige looked around at the other three boys. All of them had the same determined look on their faces. _

"_Caleb's right. We are going to help you." At this, an argument broke out between the Sons and the girls. _

"_FINE, FINE!" Blake yelled in defeat. "I can see that you guys are too stubborn to realize that this is our fight! It was prophesized that we would bring him down by ourselves!"_

"_Baby, calm down," Pogue said soothingly as he approached his angry girlfriend. "We do realize that it is your destiny to bring him down. But…think of the odds if we helped. It would be a done deal. And you girls are the stubborn ones if you think you will only be fighting him. Did you forget about his henchmen?"_

"_He's right." _

_Paige, River and Blake turned to Rylee in disbelief. "Oh, come on. Whose to say that he doesn't have an army or something? Think about it, four of us with great powers, and four of them with great powers…done deal. I mean, Kevin even said that having them was an advantage." _

_Rylee had done it. She had convinced her three friends that they needed the Sons…even though it was the last thing any of the girls wanted. They didn't want to put them in harms way._

"_So it's settled then. All EIGHT," Pogue emphasized, "of us will be at the Dells when Rylee officially turns 18. We will be ready to fight."_

_End flashback _

"Hey, Paige," a deep voice said, making her snap out of her thoughts.

"Oh, hey Corey," She smiled at the blonde haired, blue eyed boy. _He really is cute. Wait! Shut up, Paige! You like Reid! _Paige mentally fought herself as Corey took a seat next to her.

"How was the rest of your weekend?" he asked, pulling his notebook out of his back pack.

Before Paige could answer the professor walked into the room. "Okay class, today we will be doing our first lab." He smiled around at the room and happily added, "Dissecting!" Professor King reached under the table and pulled out a clear tub revealing a large amount of dead frogs.

"Ew." Paige shuddered as she averted her eyes away from the green lifeless creatures.

Corey eyed her with an amused expression. "You're afraid of a little frog?"

"Not afraid of them per say, just grossed out by what's _in_ them."

"Well if it will makes you feel better we can be lab partners. This kind of stuff doesn't bother me," he offered as Professor King started to pass around the frogs and telling them to pair off.

About 45 minutes after class started, the bell rang loudly signaling the end of class. "Thank god," Paige grimaced as she took off her rubber gloves to throw them in the trash.

"What are you talking about?" Corey snorted out a chuckle. "I did all the work!" She laughed with him as they gathered their belongings and headed out of the class room.

"Paige."

Paige turned at the sound of her name to see Reid Garwin walking up to her. "Hey, Reid. You remember Corey?" She motioned to the boy standing next to her. Reid acknowledged him with a jerk of his head then turned his attention back to Paige.

"I came to walk you to your next class," he said, offering his open hand to her. Paige waved bye to Corey before taking Reid's hand.

* * *

At the end of the day, Paige walked across campus when River's voice popped into her head. _Hey, me and Caleb are going out to grab something to eat. Do you want anything?_

_No, its okay, thanks though. Have fun! _Paige shivered as a large gust of wind rushed past her. She still wasn't used to the cold Ipswich weather so she quickened her pace when her phone started to vibrate in her bag. "Hello?"

The voice on the other line spoke deeply.

"Oh yeah, that's fine. My room is 211. Okay, see you in a few," Paige hung up the phone just before she walked into the dorm building.

Once Paige changed into a pair of jeans and a hoodie someone knocked on her door. "Come in."

The door opened and Corey walked in, grinning. "Hey, sorry about the sudden change of plans but I forgot that I already told Aaron I'd go to Nicky's with him."

"Ugh." Paige made a face of disgust. Corey just shook his head. "Shall we?" Paige sat down on her bed, Corey joined her after flipping open his biology book.

Two hours later Paige sighed in aggravation, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I am never going to get this!"

"You will. It takes time and I will be here when ever you need help," he said reassuringly. "Well I better get going."

"Oh, is your boyfriend going to freak if he finds out your hanging out with the girl who broke his nose?" Paige teased, a large smirk stretched across her face.

"Take that back," Corey playfully glared, his blue eyes locked on hers. "Or else."

"Or else?" She laughed loudly. "What are you going to do?" Before Paige could blink, Corey tackled her, his fingers tickling every inch of her he could reach. "STOP!" Paige giggled madly, trying to catch her breath.

"Do you surrender?" Corey laughed as his hands found her most ticklish spot on the side of her stomach. "Say uncle!"

"I surrender!" Paige managed to gasp between fits of giggles. "Uncle! Uncle!" The tickling ceased and she managed to catch her breath. She glared at Corey. "Not fair."

"Hey you brought it upon yourself," he said, standing up as he grabbed his books and walked to the door, Paige followed him. "I'll see you later."

"Bye, Corey. Thanks for helping me study." Paige smiled goodbye and watched him walk down the hall. From the opposite side of the hallway, footsteps sounded. She turned to see Reid and a large smile spread across her face. "Hey, Reid."

"What was Corey doing in your room?" Reid asked angrily, trying to ignore the jealous feeling that rushed through him.

"He was helping me study for Biology," Paige replied, confused by the anger he was showing. But then it clicked. He had acted this way the last time few times Corey was around. "Wait. Are you jealous?"

_Jackpot. _Reid thought but he wasn't going to let her know she was right. "Why would I be jealous of a fag like him?"

"Come on, you act all weird towards him because he is talking to me or is near me. You like me, Reid. Just admit it," She said smugly as she glided into her room. Reid followed and practically slammed the door behind him.

"Yeah, I do like you Paige you know that."

She looked over her shoulder to see that his blue eyes were intent on her. She sat on her bed, kicking her feet off the side and tilted her head.

"Since we're on the subject, why haven't you made any effort to be more? You know, boyfriend and girlfriend?" She shrugged and glanced away from him, her fingers playing with the angel wing charm that hung around her neck. "I mean, we act like it. You kiss me, you hold my hand, you do mostly everything that a boyfriend does. Why not make it official?"

"Why do we have to make it official if we already act like a couple, Paige," Reid asked. "It's just a label."

"Not to me, it isn't," Paige said sadly. "I like you so much Reid and I want to be your girlfriend. I want everyone else to know that as well. I want to kiss you whenever I want and not be afraid that I'm going to be jumped by some girl who thinks that you are hers for the moment." She stood from the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking into his blue eyes. Spilling her hear out on the floor, she prayed Reid would clean up the mess. "I want you to be mine."

"Paige, it's not that easy for me." Reid grabbed her arm and gently took them from around her neck. "Commitment is not my thing." He didn't know what else to say. He liked her but commitment scared him.

As if reading his mind, Paige snatched her hands from his in anger. "You're scared?" Salty water now fell down her cheeks, making wet trails. "You're a coward, Reid Garwin," she bit out. With tear filled eyes, her iris' flashed pink and she disappeared from the spot.

* * *

Over the next two days, Paige acted as if Reid Garwin never existed. Even after many attempts of apologizing she still ignored him, and what seemed like the hundredth time of getting shut down, Reid gave her the same treatment.

"God, you guys get over it!" Tyler shouted as the eight of them sat in Rylee and Blake's dorm. "What ever is going on, fix it! I'm sick and tired of this damn silent treatment and trying to get you guys to talk again!"

"Thank God someone finally said something," Blake said, clearly relieved. "because I was about ready to explode!"

Caleb stood from where he sat and pointed at Reid. "Fix it," he said, then looked at Paige. "Now." With that said, he and the other walked from the room, allowing the two to fight or fix their problems in privacy.

After the door was firmly shut, nearly five minutes of silence passed and neither Paige nor Reid spoke a word. "Talk, damn it!" River's muffled voice shouted from the other side of the door. Paige snorted in laughter at her friend and turned reluctantly to face Reid.

"Listen Reid, I'm sorry," she said. Unable to look him in the eye, she smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles in her shirt. "I shouldn't have said anything. Deep down I knew you weren't the commitment type…"

Reid shook his head and ran a hand through his thick blonde hair. "You were right, Paige. I thought about what you said…a lot," he paused and took a deep breath. "I….shit, this is harder than I thought. Paige, what I'm trying to say is, will….will you be my girlfriend?"

Paige stared at him uncertainly and crossed her arms over chest. "I don't want you to be asking me because that's what _I_ want, I want you to ask me because _you_ want it that way."

"I've thought this through many, many times and it is what I want." He closed the few feet between them and placed his hands on her arms. "I might not be perfect at it and I might make mistakes but I will try my hardest." One hand slid down her arm so it rested on her waist and brought one up to her cheek. "I'm so sorry that I hurt you before."

She was hesitant to answer. He had hurt her more than she would admit but looking at him now, she knew he'd never intentionally hurt her. Paige smiled as she stood on her tip toes and placed a light, sweet kiss on his lips, letting it linger a few moments. "Yes. I will be your girlfriend."

Happy squeals were heard and three giggling girls ran into the room followed by their boyfriends, who were grinning at their two blonde friends.

"Gosh, Garwin it's about time!" Rylee shrieked in happiness, giving Reid a proud pat on the cheek.

"Yeah, man. How's it feel to be tied down?" Pogue teased, wrapping an arm around Blake's waist.

"Man, fu.." Reid began but was cut off by Paige's kiss.

* * *

"Who are they swimming against again?" River asked as she and the girls walked up the bleachers.

"Hastings, I think," Rylee replied after taking a seat on the metal bleachers. She looked across the pool just in time to see Spenser's swim team walking out of the locker room. "Wow."

River, Blake and Paige followed Rylee's gaze. "Oh my…" River breathed. Caleb, Pogue, Tyler and Reid were huddled with the rest of their team as their coached gave a small pep talk. All four of them were in their Jammers, with washboard abs and tight muscles.

"Damn, Blake! If I knew Pogue had a body like that I would have picked him!" Paige joked, then her eyes landed on her boyfriend. _Boyfriend. _She smiled to herself. Reid was not as muscular as the other three but he was definitely lean, so Paige wasn't going to complain.

"Pretty nice, huh?" a voice said from their left. The four girls looked to see that Sarah had taken a seat right next to them, her blonde hair pulled over her shoulder.

"River, right?" Sarah asked, offering her hand to River, who hesitantly took it. "It's nice to actually meet you."

"Likewise," River said sarcastically, though Sarah did not catch it.

Sarah smiled then turned her attention to the swimmers that just dove in the water. "So baby boy snatched a girl, did he?" She looked over as Rylee nodded her head then turn her attention to see her boyfriend take the lead. The whistle blew, indicating that the first round had ended and Tyler pounded fists with his friends. His blue eyed gaze found Rylee and he beamed.

Reid was up next and caught Paige's eye, giving her a smirk and a wink before he dove into the water once the whistle sounded.

"Reid is such a ladies man," Sarah said with a single laugh. "I remember when he had a different girl every other week. He never had an actual girlfriend."

Paige narrowed her eyes at the side of Sarah's face. "Well that was back then, Sarah. Things have changed and he does have a girlfriend… me."

Sarah didn't seem surprised by this information but didn't pursue further into the conversation with Paige. Instead she acted like Paige had not said anything at all, keeping her eyes elsewhere.

_Bitch. _Blake thought as she used the Connection to speak to the other girls. _Who does she think she is? _

"Oh and then there's Pogue," Sarah smiled, flipping her long blonde hair back. "Him and Kate were pretty serious, almost 3 years of dating before Kate moved to Ohio. He was so in love with her, and was heart broken when she left." She leaned in closer. " He did tell you about Kate, didn't he?"

"Yes," Blake said, speaking through gritted teeth. "He did."

"What is your problem?" Rylee hissed at Sarah.

"Just trying to hold a conversation," she replied, unfazed by the girls glares. Sarah shrugged, amusement clear in her blue eyes. "Your boyfriend just won." She noted to Paige, though she never looked away from Blake's heated gaze.

Paige looked up to see a worried expression on Reid's face before he turned to Caleb and Pogue whose attention was on the meet. Reid said something to the two and pointed to the stands. It was then that Sarah broke her stare with Blake and waved eagerly at the four Sons, who reluctantly waved in return.

The rest of the meet, they in held in anger and annoyance at the girl beside them. Sarah, however, seemed to not feel the tension rolling off of the four girls.

Nearly a half an hour later, shouts and cheers erupted in the stands as Spenser had just won their first swim meet. As Rylee started down the stands she looked at Sarah and plastered a large, fake smile on her face. "Well, it was nice seeing you. See you around." Not waiting for a reply, the four girls proceeded down the stands.

Sarah's smile fell in a scowl as she watched the four girls walk out the double doors.

Out in the hallway, the girls waited patiently for their boyfriends. Tyler was the first to exit the locker room and was surprised as Rylee launched herself into his arms.

"You did awesome!" Rylee said, looking up at him. He beamed just as Pogue, Caleb and Reid walked through the locker room door, their hair still wet from the pool water.

"Baby, you did so good." Paige leaned up at placed a tender kiss on Reid's lips.

Pogue accepted praise from Blake as she told him how good he had done. Caleb modestly accepted his compliments from River, who had her arms wrapped around him.

"Grant Banks is having another party at his house. A victory party he says. You guys up for it?" Caleb asked, though already knowing the answer because River was jumping up and down in excitement.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

"Already in full swing," Blake said with a smile as she and the others walked the front door of Grant Banks house. Couples gathered in the living room to dance, but unlike last time there was no DJ, only the stereo system. The mock dance floor was set in the living room where dozens of teenagers moved to the bass of the music. Kira Snider stood in the small crowd, rolling her hips.

"What is she doing?" Rylee pointed to Kira with a look of disgust across her face. "It's so horrible, I can't look away!"

Paige rolled her eyes then glanced back at Kira. "Wow, where's her stripper pole?"

"There it is." Reid wrapped an arm around Paige's shoulder and jerked his head toward Aaron Abbot who walked straight toward Kira. She grinded her hips up and down him like he was indeed a stripper's pole.

"Ew," Tyler said, tearing his gaze from the pair. He grabbed Rylee's hand in his. "Let's go get some drinks or something."

The group eagerly made their way to the kitchen where most of the swim team stood, Grant Banks was among them. "Hey boys! And of course, ladies." He bowed politely taking River's hand and placing a kiss on it.

The blush that colored River's cheeks made Caleb laugh. "Hey, Banks back off," he said. "This lovely lady is taken by yours truly."

Grant turned to Blake with a cocky grin, giving her a wink. He opened his mouth to speak but Pogue shook his head. "My girlfriend."

"Let me guess," Grant started, looking at Rylee and Paige. "You girls are dating the other two?" The girls smiled and pulled themselves closer to their respective boyfriends. "I take that as a yes. So what'll it be?"

"Nothing for me. I have a test tomorrow," Blake said with a smile. While Grant pulled Reid, Caleb and Pogue into a conversation, Blake and the other girls mingled through the house. Just as they turned to corner into the foyer, Blake stopped suddenly.

"Oh shit, incoming."

River, Paige and Rylee turned in time to see a certain blonde girl heading their way. Sarah.

"Hey girls!" Sarah said happily, once at the side of Paige. She looked around the room and the people laughing, talking and dancing. "Great party, huh?"

_She always seems to find us. _Paige's gaze took in Sarah's outfit and grimaced. Her top was a blue and white striped corset that bared her tan stomach and tattoo on her lower back. The dark denim jeans hung low on her hips as the hugged her curves. "Nice outfit."

"I know," Sarah said with a flip of her hair. "So where are the guys at?"

"Oh, they're around here somewhere," Rylee said, jaw tensed. Maybe it was her look or her attitude but something about Sarah rubbed her the wrong way. Sarah was a flat out bitch, Rylee decided as the blonde took a step closer to them.

"Well, since the guys aren't around, let's talk." Sarah's blues turned mischievous as they landed on River. "How far have you been with Caleb?"

River's jaw dropped open. "Excuse me? That is none of your business, Sarah."

"Yeah, it took us a while to…you know." She smirked as she flipped her blonde hair. Finger's itched grab it and rip it from her head. "He was a gentleman that way. Has he taken you to the Old Colony house?"

"Colony house?" River asked in uncertainty.

The smile that came to Sarah's lips was a satisfied smirk as she said, "I guess that's a no. Looks like I'm _still_ the only girl he has taken there." With a swift wink she spun on her heels and disappeared into the crowd, swinging her hips.

"Who does that little bitch think she is?" Blake spat furiously. Noticing River had gone rigid and was shaky with anger, she placed a hand on her shoulder. "River, it's okay. Calm down. She's just jealous and is trying to work you up."

"You're right," River said, breathing in slowly. "I'm calm."

* * *

Reid set down the empty beer bottle onto the counter top and clapped his hands together. "Well, boys I'm off to find my woman."

Tyler followed his blonde friend out of the kitchen and into the living room. The people in the kitchen had started to filter into the others rooms, leaving only a few left.

"Did you see Sarah at the meet?" Pogue asked Caleb, bringing a beer to his lips.

"Dude, how could I not?" Caleb heaved a sigh. "The girls didn't look too pleased about it, though Sarah didn't seemed fazed one bit by the death stares she was getting…"

Pogue was silent for a moment, considering his next words. "Something is different about her. Maybe the whole Chase thing really did get to her, you know?" Caleb nodded his head slowly as he and Pogue set down their drinks then walked down the crowded hallway out of the kitchen.

A small group of girls stopped Pogue to congratulate him about the swim meet, leaving Caleb to walk a few steps further by himself. That was when someone nearly tackled him into an open door. He gained his balance then stood tall, ready for a fight.

His stance relaxed a bit as a small blonde closed the door behind her. Sarah turned to him.

"Hey," Sarah said, eyeing him up and down. "I forgot how hot you are."

"Sarah," Caleb said firmly as she reached out to touch his face. He took a step back and he bumped into the desk behind him. "You know I have a girlfriend."

"And you think that's going to stop me?" She closed the space between them and placed her palms on his chest. Her hands lingered there for a moment before making their way around his neck. "You know you want me," she whispered before crashing her lips onto his.

Just then, the door flew open revealing Pogue. Caleb shoved Sarah away and looked to see Pogue standing in the doorway. Without a word, Sarah walked past Pogue but blew Caleb a kiss before leaving the room.

Pogue watched her go then turned to Caleb with narrowed eyes. "How could you do that to River?" Pogue shook his head in disappointment and headed for the living room, Caleb right on his heels.

"Pogue!" Caleb yelled, grabbing his best friends arm. "How could you think that? You know how much I like River and you know I would never do that to her!"

Pogue contemplated his words. "I'm sorry. I just thought…"

Caleb waved his hand, dismissing the apology. "Don't worry about it. Just don't tell River. I don't want her to freak out."

"Tell me what?" a voice asked. River stood only feet away with Rylee, Paige and Blake right behind her. Tyler and Reid appeared next to them.

"Uhh," Pogue sputtered, looking helplessly to his best friend and back at River.

"Caleb?" River questioned, her voice as hard and fierce as her gaze.

"Well, don't freak out or anything," Caleb said. "But Sarah kind of kissed me."

River's eyes flashed with anger as she turned her gaze, searching the room. "Where's the bitch?"

"River," Rylee's voice sounded in her ear. "She just walked out the door."

Without hesitation River stormed after Sarah, the others followed closely behind. As she threw open the door, she spotted Sarah walking toward the woods, already halfway across the yard. Outside, the chilly Ipswich weather bit at River's exposed skin, but she didn't notice because her body felt hot with anger.

"Hey!" River called, taking long strides toward the blonde. A gust of wind blew, sending the last few people that were scattered around the yard back inside.

"You come here thinking you can have Caleb back just like that," River snapped her finger as she stopped in front of Sarah. "You give me and my friends attitude _and_ you kiss my boyfriend. Very bad move."

A smirk crossed Sarah's lips as she peeked at Caleb who stood a few feet behind River. She winked at him then turned back to River. "Yeah, I kissed him but he kissed me back."

"River, I didn't," Caleb said quickly. He glared at Sarah. "I didn't kiss you."

"Why lie, Caleb? You were all over me until Pogue walked in." She turned her gaze back to River, blue eyes glinting with mischief. "Listen, I get what I want and what I want is Caleb."

A dangerous smile played across River's lips as she stood only inches from the girl. "Well he is one thing you won't get. You're a pathetic liar. So why don't you save yourself the embarrassment and leave?" She turned and took one step when Sarah spoke.

"You better watch your back, bitch."

Without second thought, River whirled around, back handing the blonde. The sudden impact knocked Sarah off her feet and to the ground. "Never threaten me again," she said, glaring as Sarah stood. That was when something strange happened.

Sarah's once blue eyes flashed green and her appearance quickly shifted. Within seconds, the long blonde hair was replaced by dark red that hung well past her chest. A girl with forest green eyes and pale clear skin stood before them. Whoever she was, she was not Sarah Wenham.

"Like I said, bitch, watch your back." Before anyone could react the red haired girl snapped her fingers and disappeared from sight.

Blake ran to River's side, staring at the spot where the girl vanished from. Shock was clear on her face. "What the hell? Did she just shift?"

* * *

Two men stood guard at the mouth of a large cave. Their gazes moved back and forth over the dark woods that surrounded them. Suddenly, the longer haired one froze in place as he sensed someone coming.

"Who's there?" he called, making his blonde companion tense for a fight.

"Relax, Adrian," a woman said, flipping her dark red hair over her shoulder. "It's me. Scared a certain wolf was going to come and get you?"

"No, but I'm sure Ian would be," the other blonde, Jad laughed. "How did it go?"

A large scowl came across her features as she walked toward them, heading for the cave. "Not good. Demon won't be pleased."

"Don't worry about it, Carmen. Demon has a certain liking for you." Adrian smirked as Carmen passed them and into the dank cave.

"We'll see how much he likes me after this," Carmen called over her shoulder. The path she walked was narrow and the only source of light came from up ahead. As the light grew bigger, the sound of low voices reached her ears, and as she stepped into the large cave like room where a dozen pits of fire burned.

The men that were scattered around stopped their conversations to stare at her as she walked by. But her attention was on a single man who knelt by one of the fires set far from the others. Spotting Carmen approaching, he rose to stand..

"Master," Carmen said, bowing before him.

"Carmen." Demon's red eyes lingered over her appreciatively before going vacant of emotion. "Did you succeed? Speak."

Cameron hesitated for a moment before speaking. When she did, she spoke fast and low. "I tried, Master. I impersonated the Sarah Wenham girl and did all I could to shake the relationships between the girls and the Sons…" She faltered when Demon's brow pulled together over narrowed eyes. "I even kissed Caleb hoping that he would break down and want me. And when one of the other Sons walked in on us I waited for all Hell would break loose. But it didn't even faze them. And then the stupid mutt came after me, and threatened me. Then she hit me."

"And what did you do next?" His voice was calm but Carmen knew there was always a calm before the storm, and right now she could see the storm forming in his eyes.

"I…" Carmen paused, knowing the gale was about to come full force. She had revealed her true form to his greatest enemies, one thing Demon had instructed her not to do. "I shifted."

Demon brought his hand up quickly, causing Carmen flinch. But he did not hit her, instead he caressed Carmen's cheek with his fingertips as he traced line down her shoulder. She gave a whimper as his grip tighten with such strength that it buckled her knees.

"You disobey me?" he growled. "You of all people know not to disobey me."

"Master," she pleaded. "I know I have defied you but I have this." Carmen reached into her the pocket of her jeans with her free arm and pulled out a single sheet of parchment paper.

Demon reached for the paper in Carmen's hand. His eyes raped over the words as an evil smile spread across his lips.

* * *

"I still can't believe she can shift into other humans," Tyler said for the fifth time that night. His heavy footsteps echoed down the empty hallway of Spenser's dorm building. "Does that mean she can turn into one of you guys?"

"Yes, Tyler for the last time, she obviously can shift into other humans." Paige sighed and ran a hand through her long blonde hair. "As for her being able to shift into one of us, I don't see why not."

Rylee stopped in front of her dorm room door and placed the key in the lock. "Not to state the obvious or anything but I'm pretty sure that this chick works for Demon." She pushed open the door and froze. Someone stood in the middle of the room. As her eyes glowed golden-yellow, a ball of electricity sprang to her palms.

"Is that a good idea? Someone might see you using your Power."

Blake raced to Rylee's side, recognizing the stranger's voice. "Kevin?" She pushed past Rylee and stepped into the room to switch on the lights. "Can't you be normal for once and call us or something?"

"I'm sorry, if I frightened you." Kevin smiled warmly. "You girls have been busy the last week, haven't you? First your little duel with Demon's henchmen, finding out about the Sons and now another shifter was sent to stir things up."

"Wait," Paige said, catching Blake's arm before she got farther into the room. "How do we know this is really Kevin and not the girl who impersonated Sarah?" She eyed him suspiciously, ready to teleport her friends to safety at a moments notice. "Tell me something Kevin would only know about us."

Kevin spoke without pause. "At our first meeting, River accidentally shifted. When she shifted back she stood completely naked in front of the entire group of the Keepers of Prophecies. Blake laughed so hard that she accidentally made a candle flame grow causing the table to catch fire. Shall I go on?"

"Nope," Rylee laughed, walking further into the her room.

"I was just being cautious," Paige said. "Why didn't you tell me about the Sons when I talked to you last? You could have given me a hint or something."

"You know about it now so there's no sense in bringing it back up is there?" He glanced at the Sons and smiled. "So these are the Sons of Ipswich? It's nice to finally meet you."

Reid stepped forward, eyeing Kevin. "Who are you again?"

"I'm Kevin. I am a Keeper of Prophecies, one of many who-"

"It's a long story, and frankly we don't have time it," River interrupted. She sat down on her bed and kicked off her shoes. "We need to talk about Rylee's birthday."

"Right. Now have you devised a plan for when the protection charm breaks?" Kevin asked. Behind him, Blake rolled her eyes.

"No, we're just going to wing it," River stated sarcastically. She threw her harms in the air and huffed in exasperation. "Of course, we have a plan! We've had a plan for almost three years now!"

Paige shook her head at her friend's temper. "Yes, we have a plan. And no matter what we say, the guys have made it clear that they are helping us fight."

Kevin's gaze went to the Sons, eyes serious and grave. "You are willing to risk your lives to help them fulfill their prophecy?"

"Yes," Caleb answered, speaking for all for of the Sons. "Our powers along with the girls powers would be more than Demon will expect."

"Even if that means I lose a few years of my life," Pogue said, grabbing Blake's hand in his. "I will still help as much as I can."

"I see," Kevin said in a distant voice. He looked as though he was thinking deeply before he snapped back to the present. He clapped his hands together and smiled. "Well I better be off, lots to do."

"Wait," Paige spoke up. "This girl, this shifter…can she change into one of us?"

"No. The charm that protects you will keep that from happening but only until Rylee's birthday," Kevin explained. He looked at the watch on his wrist, looking as if he were in a great hurry. "Paige, would you mind taking me back? You're method is much less of a hassle than mine."

Paige laughed out loud as she held her hand out to him. "I'll be back in a second," she said to the others as her blue eyes flashed pink then disappeared from the dorm room.

"He was and interesting character," Reid said with a smirk.

Pogue studied his girlfriend for a moment. After finding out that Demon had sent yet another one of his henchmen, or in this case henchwoman, he didn't want to leave her side. "I think we should stay with you all tonight. Just incase Demon the red headed chick comes back."

"Not that I'm saying no, but you don't have to," River said, glancing around at the guys. "We can handle ourselves."

Paige, who had reappeared while River spoke, walked to Reid and grabbed his hand. "Let's not start a fight, River. I know I want to be protected to night," she added with a wink at her boyfriend and pulled him from the room. River sighed and followed with Caleb right by her side.

Only minutes later, Reid jumped onto Paige's bed and pulled off his shirt as Paige grabbed some pajamas and went to change in the bathroom.

As River waited for her turn to change, Caleb walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. River grinned and turned to face him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. Her hands linked around his neck to pull herself closer, loving the feeling of his lips on hers.

The bathroom door opened and Paige stepped out. "Enough of that," Paige giggled, squeezing purposefully between the couple to get to her bed.

"Caleb, she won't give you any in front of her best friend," Reid said. "You need to get her alone, then you'll score."

"Reid!" Paige scolding, smacking his bare chest. River ignored him and walked into the bathroom to change, but Caleb flipped off telling him to shut up.

Reid smirked at his friend then turned to Paige and snuggled close. "You best stop hitting me or you won't get any from me," he whispered in her ear. Paige let out a single laugh as she closed her eyes and let sleep take over.

* * *

As Kevin walked into the windowless room that he spent most of his waking hours in, Lucy stood from the chair in the far corner.

"How did it go?" she asked, watching Kevin go straight to the tall shelf lined with hundreds of old, dusty books. His gaze ran over the spines as if looking for a certain one.

"Something came to my attention," Kevin said, brow furrowing in concentration as he continued to search frantically. "One of the Sons mentioned that they all were willing to sacrifice a few years of their life to help the girls."

"This shouldn't be a shock to you," Lucy said, eyes still on him. "You know about the side effects of the Sons powers."

Kevin sighed as he turned from the book shelf and headed for his desk, searching the dozen of books that scattered the surface. "Yes I am aware of that, Lucy," he replied, flipping through the pages of a small volume.

"Then where are you going with this?" Lucy asked irritably, moving to stand beside him.

Ignoring Lucy's question, he quietly muttered to himself, "Powers…..aging….joining of equals….the Sons….where have I seen this before?"

With sudden realization, Lucy's eyes widened and she raced from the room. A few minutes later, she returned with a book in her hands, heavy and covered in a thin layer of dust. She placed it on the desk and started skimming through the pages.

"I see where you're going with this. It's here somewhere…wait…." Lucy frantically flipped a few pages back and forth. She looked up at Kevin, white-faced. "The prophecy…it's missing."

Kevin rushed to her side and peered over her shoulder. His fingers brushed over the jagged edge of a missing page. With an angry yell he slammed the Book of Prophecies shut. "It's seems as if the girls are not the only targets in this war now."


	15. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

"The Sons of Ipswich are descendents of a 17th century coven of witches. Simms, Parry, Garwin and Danvers were four of the few who were able to escape the witch hunting in England and France by coming to America, but the prosecutions followed them here as well," Cameron looked up from the book of Ipswich's History. "So they formed a Covenant of Silence, and up until about a year ago it had been kept a secret for almost 300 years. Apparently, there had been a fifth bloodline that was thought to have died out during the Salem Witch Trails. ThePutnam descendent came looking for revenge. He threatened the life of the eldest Son's girlfriend and said he wouldn't harm her if Caleb willed him his powers."

Carmen paused to let Demon soak up the information before continuing. "The night of Caleb's ascension was the night he fought the fifth Son. Chase Collins had already ascended so his powers were greater, but during the fight Caleb's father willed his son his share of the power. With the powers of his father and his own after ascending he was able to defeat Chase."

Demon gazed into the fire with greedy eyes. "A blessing to have so much power…"

"More like a curse," Carmen corrected him. "There are side effects to their powers. Rapid aging, leading to an early death. However by the looks of this, there is a cure that will stop the curse." She pointed to a line on the page Demon held in his hand.

Demons gazed at the piece of paper Cameron had stolen from the Book of Prophecies.

_The joining of equals is the key, find their other half and they will be set free, _

_ The four with powers as great as theirs will end this curse forever and produce an heir…_

His lips twisted with evil intent as he realized what Carmen was implying. "Their powers are great, imagine my powers with addition to theirs…I would be unstoppable." He reached out to her and gently caressed the side of her face. "We would be unstoppable. Let us keep this our little secret."

* * *

"_What time is it now?" Tyler's asked as he looked around at his friends. It was the night of Rylee's birthday and they were standing in a clearing at the Dells._

_Caleb reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "11:43."_

"_Three minutes until the protection charm is lifted," Paige said. Her determined voice cracked on the last word, showing the fear they all felt. Reid's arm tightened around her shoulder._

"_Two minutes…" Blake stood up from where she sat next to Pogue and walked to the center of the clearing closer to the small fire. She lifted her eyes to glance at the three other girls who were now standing next to her._

"_One minute," Pogue whispered as he, Tyler, Reid and Caleb made a protective square around the four girls._

_The clock on Blake cell phone hit 11:46 pm. Rylee was officially eighteen. The four girls readied themselves for a fight as the Sons eyes shifted so they were as black as the night._

_Suddenly, something much stronger than a gust of wind ripped through the trees, knocking all but one backwards away from the fire. The last one was thrown forward and closer to the edge of the tree line._

_Before Rylee could stand up, a hand grabbed a fistful of her hair causing her to scream. Rylee's let out a scream as she looked into the red eyes of Demon. "Happy Birthday," he hissed, spinning her so that she faced her friends._

"_Rylee!" Tyler yelled as he jumped to his feet. A ball of energy formed in his hands as the others stared on in horror._

"_Ah, ah. That wouldn't be wise of you," Demon sneered as he moved his hand from Rylee's hair to her throat. "One wrong move and she dies."_

"_Let her go!" River growled from behind Tyler. Next to them, Paige and Blake eyes had changed from their normal color, glowing brightly in the near dark._

_Crunching leaves and cracking branches could be heard all around them. To the left Carmen, Ian and Jad stood in front of five men who rounded on the three girls. On the right Adrian and Gareth, followed by six more men headed towards the Sons. Against Rylee's protests to fight and get away, they didn't struggle as Carmen, Ian and Gareth bound and gagged them._

_Demon's eyes flashed red and Tyler's body was lifted off the ground and dragged closer to where he stood with Rylee. "There is one way you can save her life," he said in a whisper so only Tyler could hear. "Will me your power and she nor any of the others will be harmed."_

_Tyler's stared at Rylee. She seemed so scared and helpless, he couldn't let her die. Taking a deep breath, he tore his gaze from his girlfriend. "Do I have your word?"_

_Demon grinned as his eyes bore into the now blue eyes of Tyler Simms. "My word as a gentlemen. None will be harmed."_

_Tyler nodded, dropping his gaze to the ground. When he spoke, the words were soft, hoping that Demon could only hear. "I will you my…" He paused. This is the only way to save his family, his friends, the ones he loved most. "I will you my Power." With the last word he took his last breath as his body dropped to the ground. His blue eyes dull and lifeless. Dead._

With a terrifying gasp, River bolted upright on her bed, shaking and sweating. Disoriented, she blinked in the early morning light that fell into the room through the window. "Stupid nightmares," she sighed, covering her hands with her eyes.

The spot where Caleb lay the previous night was empty, except for a small piece of paper on the pillow. As she picked it up she noticed it was in Caleb's hand.

_Good morning beautiful._

_Had to run errands then heading back to my house._

_Call me later._

River took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Her nightmare had been very vivid and real, more real than any of her other ones. Tears filled her eyes as she thought of the dead corpse that was Tyler in her nightmare. She shook her head and threw the blankets off of her and climbed out of bed. After quickly pulling on a pair of jeans and old sweatshirt, River grabbed Paige's car keys from the desk next to the door. She needed to see Caleb. For the first time, her nightmare was just about only herself and the other girls, it had been about the Sons and their powers. Pushing the doors open, she swiftly made her way to Paige's car.

She didn't know why Demon would be interested in the Sons but she knew Caleb had the answers.

* * *

"I can't believe Rylee's birthday is in three days," Paige sighed as she slowly turned the cup of coffee between her hands.

Reid reached across the table and pulled one of Paige's hands into his own. "Look at me, Paige. Everything is going to be fine. We'll get through this. I promise."

Smiling, Paige leaned over the table and placed a soft kiss on her boyfriend's mouth. "Let's go out tonight. Just you and me."

"You mean…" Reid wiggled his eyebrows as his eyes roamed over his girlfriends body with lust. "You and me…alone?"

Paige bit her lip, blushing slightly before standing from her seat and walking toward the door. "If you're lucky." she said as she raced from the small café and out into the chilly weather with Reid right on her heels. He grabbed her from behind and spun her around, placing a kiss on her neck as he pulled her to a stop. Paige turned to face him and laid her head on his chest.

"Let's get you back." Reid led her to Tyler's Hummer, where he opened the passenger door to let Paige climb in. As he walked to the driver's side, his phone went off and saw that it was Caleb calling. Pressing the ignore button, he climbed into the car. Seconds later, it rang again. "What?"

"_You need to get here now… Ow!" _Caleb said before the line went dead. Reid stared at the phone then looked up a Paige. She had wide eyes as she said, "Go! Now!"

Not needing to be told twice, Reid slammed his foot on the gas pedal and sped to Caleb's house. He pulled into the driveway nearly fifteen minutes later and barely putting it in park before jumping out of the driver's seat.

"What's my car doing here?" Paige asked as she raced past her car with Reid right beside her. Reid threw open the door and hurried into the foyer.

"Caleb?" he yelled, running up the stairs but stopped halfway when he heard Paige laughing.

Confused, he came to her side at the doorway that led to the living room. A snort of laughter escaped him as he took in the scene before him. Caleb sat Indian style on top of a large dresser that held the TV with his elbows resting on his knees. A look of impatience was on his face as his gaze landed on his two friends.

Below him a large wolf stood on its hind legs, growling and barking angrily. A pile of torn clothes sat in the middle of the room.

"River," Paige called to the large wolf. "Come on, let's get you some clothes."

With one last growl at Caleb, River trotted toward Paige and followed her up the arched staircase. Walking into the first bedroom on her left, she recognized Caleb's room. As the blonde made her way across the room, River shifted back into her human form.

"I'm going to kill him," she snarled.

Paige rolled her eyes as she rummaged through the closet to find something for her friend to wear. After finding a pair of sweatpants and T-shirt and tossed them to River.

"So what happened?" she asked.

"I had a dream. No, not a dream, it was a nightmare. It was just like any other nightmare I've been having except we could use our powers and the guys were in it, too." River paused as she pulled the shirt over her head. She then explained every detail of the nightmare. "Tyler said 'I will you my power' and he died, Paige. He died!"

"Tyler's okay. Reid talked to him this morning," Paige said reassuringly. "And it was just a dream, it's not like it could really happen."

"That's what I figured," River said, running a hand through her hair. "But I had a weird feeling about it so I came here to talk to Caleb and told him about it. After I finished I asked if it was possible to will their powers away. He told me it was true and he told me that if they will away their powers….they die."

Paige's mind raced. "Didn't Kevin say that the dreams you're having don't necessarily have a meaning? That they were just warnings from Demon?"

River shook her head. "No. This wasn't a warning, Paige. Kevin said my other dreams were some sort of vision Demon planted in my head. But this was different. It's like I was inside his dreams or something. This is what Demon wants." Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at her blonde friend. "Paige, what if my dream comes true? What if Demon threatens one of our lives? I don't want one anyone to die… I don't want him to die."

"Nothing is going to happen to Caleb or anyone else. This isn't their fight in the first place but they insist on being there. If the battle gets out of hand or if something goes wrong I will get them out of there… all of them." Paige pulled River into a warm embrace, repeating Reid's previous words. "Everything is going to be fine."

"Thanks." River sniffed back tears and took a deep breath to compose herself. "How mad do you think Caleb is?"

Paige laughed loudly. "Well I think he would have been more scared than mad. I mean how often does your girlfriend burst into a giant wolf and attack you?"

"I guess I should go apologize, huh?" River asked, regret in her eyes. Paige gave her a 'do you even have to ask' look and nodded.

* * *

Fits of laughter flooded the room as River told in detail what had happened early that day. Blake rolled around on the floor trying to catch her breath, her face beat red. Rylee stood doubled over cackling loudly as she gasped for air.

"Oh…. My …..gosh…" Rylee managed to get out when her breathing went slightly back to normal. "I can't believe you attacked Caleb! I wish I would have seen the look on his face."

"Shut up, Rylee!" River snapped. "This is serious!"

"You're right," Blake tried to keep a new wave of giggles from escaping. "This is serious. The dream equals bad news. But….the other stuff is hilarious!"

The door opened and Paige entered with a towel wrapped firmly around her body. She eyed the two girls who were now both on the ground, laughing. "You told them, I'm guessing?"

River nodded her head cracking a small smile. "You ready for tonight?"

"What's happening tonight?" Rylee asked after containing her laughter.

"Nothing big, I just have a date with Reid tonight that's all," Paige replied but couldn't help repress a grin. She grabbed a brush off her dresser and ran it through her wet hair.

"No just any date," River explained. "It's _the_ date. Paige and Reid are going to-" She started but was tackled to the ground. "Ouch Paige! Okay I give, I give!"

Paige smirked as she stood up and straightened her towel. "It is a big night, but stop talking about it! I'm nervous enough as it is."

"Well it's not as if you're a virgin or anything, Paige." Rylee stated, amusement in her voice. "Blake and I are the only ones left!" Laughing, she nudged Blake in the side. Blake froze where she sat, avoiding the gazes of her friends as they laughed, though it stopped abruptly when she didn't join in.

A small gasp of surprise left Rylee's lips as it dawned on her. "You and Pogue?"

"Oh, come on you guys. You couldn't have expected me not to with having a boyfriend who looks like Pogue!" Blake blushed heavily, bringing her eyes to look at her three stunned friends.

A grin spread across River's face. "Good point. But you could have told us! When did it happen?"

The red in Blake's face grew a shade darker as she averted her gaze to the ground. "The night the guys found out about us…"

"What?" Paige's face scrunched in disgust. "In my house?"

"I'm sorry, Paige! But the night was so, I can't even explain. I'm sorry!" Blake raced through her words, but Paige held up a hand to stop her, a smile on her face.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just happy that you're happy." Then she noticed Rylee's silence. "Ryl's what's up with you?"

Rylee sat with her jaw clenched and her eyes focused on the opposite wall. "Now I'm the only one who hasn't…you know…"

Trying to not laugh River walked over to the youngest girl and placed her arm around her shoulder. "It's okay that you're still a virgin. Someone has to be the last one of the group. And it was between you and Blake. Blake beat you to the punch."

"Thanks," Rylee scoffed sarcastically. "That really helped."

"Glad to be of service!" River gave her shoulder a squeeze then jumped up happily.

* * *

"Thank you for dinner," Paige said as she and Reid walked into the Garwin Manor. Like a gentleman, he took off her jacket and hung it up on the coat rack.

"Alone at last…" Reid said, turning to his girlfriend with lustful eyes.

"Yeah." Paige grinned as she closed the space between them then leaned up to his ear. "But you'll have to catch me first." Her eyes flashed pink and then she was gone from where she once stood.

"Not fair," Reid spoke to himself as he glanced in the living room. _Empty_. Turning, he raced up the stairs two at a time to find the door to his room open. "Paige?" He had walked fully into the room when someone jumped on his back.

"Whoa!" he yelled as he was knocked to the ground with a thud. He chuckled as he rolled onto his back so that Paige straddled his waist. "Not that I'm complaining or anything… but wasn't I supposed to catch you?"

"I couldn't wait." Paige giggled as she searched for his lips in the dark. "Um. Reid? I can't see a thing."

Reid was thankful that she could not see his eyes as they flashed with fire then bled black. A moment later, dozens of large white candles appeared around the room, casting a dim, romantic light. "Better?"

Paige brought her hands up to rest on his chest. "Much better," she mumbled against his lips. The kiss was slow and light, and as Paige opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, Reid groaned in pleasure. Her fingers started to unbutton his shirt and pushed it open to reveal his lean torso. Reid stood, lifting her up with him and felt for the zipper at the back of Paige's dress. As he set her down, the dress fell to the ground, leaving her only in a black pair of matching lingerie. Paige captured his lips once again as he walked her backwards towards the bed.

Reid took in the sight of her and his heart skipped a beat as she crawled to the middle of the mattress. At her beckoning, he went to her. Putting her weight on him, she pushing him onto his back as she trailed teasing kisses down his chest then back up.

When she was eye level with him, she froze. Something was in his eyes that she had never seen before. Her stomach warmed pleasantly as he reached up to her face and caressed her cheeks.

"I love you," he whispered softly, drinking in the sight of her.

Paige blinked and sat up in surprise. "What?"

A genuine smile graced his perfect lips, making his eyes smile as well. "I love you, Paige Elliot," he with more loudly.

Tears filled the brim of Paige's eyes letting them fall. "I love you too, Reid Garwin."

* * *

The next morning, Paige woke up to the deep breathing coming from Reid's warm body that lay next to her. She lifted her eyelids and noticed a pair of blue eyes staring back at her.

"Morning." She blushed at the sudden memory of what had occurred the previous night. It was the best night of her life. He had been so caring and loving. _Love, _Paige thought. _He told me he loved me. _

Reid wrapped his arms tighter around her body. "Good morning," he said, his voice laced with sleep. Paige laid her head on his chest and drew patterns with her finger across his bare chest, sighing in content.

"What time is it?" she asked, too lazy to roll over and look at the clock behind her.

"Um, half past eleven," he answered, snuggling closer to her.

"Crap!" Paige sat up quickly. "We have class today!" She jumped out of bed, frantically searching for her clothes. Her dress lay on the floor, tangled with Reid's white button down shirt.

As Paige rushed around the room, Reid slowly crawled off the bed and placed himself directly behind her as she to fasten the clasp of her bra. He moved her hair aside and started placing soft kisses her neck. "How about a recap of last night?"

"Reid," Paige whispered as she turned to face him. "We have to go to school."

His lips hovered right over hers, so close that Paige couldn't think straight. Her pulse jumped as he grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her into a kiss. She tried to reason that they needed to go to class but her knees went weak when his tongue licked her bottom lip invitingly. She moaned and pushed him back towards the bed.

* * *

By almost the end of lunch, Tyler looked up to see his best friend and Paige walked through the cafeteria doors. "Where the hell have you been?" he asked as the two took a seat. "You never came back to the dorms last night."

"Didn't sleep much so we slept in," Reid answered. "Me and Paige stayed at my place last night."

Tyler quickly understood Reid's meaning. "Oh," he said then shook his head, an unpleasant look on his face. "Why did you have to tell me that!"

Paige giggled as she placed a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "You're the one who asked Ty."

He turned to glare at Reid. "You corrupted, Peanut."

Bursting into laughter, Blake shook her head. "Aw, it's cute that you think that but Paige is not as innocent as you would think."

Tyler was grateful when the bell rang, signaling that lunch was now over. Together, he and Pogue left the lunchroom after saying their goodbyes and headed down the hallway. As Tyler disappeared into one room, Pogue made his way into the classroom a few doors down.

Caleb, who had instead studying rather than have lunch looked up as his friend took a seat. "Did Reid ever show up?"

Pogue laughed and was hushed by the professor as he started writing down the day's notes on the chalk board. "Sure did," he said quietly.

"So what's Reid excuse this time for being late?" Caleb asked as started to jot down the notes.

"Slept in….literally." Pogue answered with a grin. "Him and Paige-" Caleb held up his hand to silence him.

"I really don't want to know about Reid and Paige's sex life."

"Well then maybe you should get one of your own." Pogue laughed loudly, receiving another loud hush from the teacher.

* * *

Demon stood tall and secure next a large fire; the light cast a dark shadow across his face. The group that stood before him focused intently on their leader. "The Sons of Ipswich have come to play a large part in the girls life. Until now they have been no threat to me, however it has come to my attention that our four girls are able to stop the aging process for them. And now that the Sons are involved with the prophesied four, they have become more of a threat to me." Demon's gaze pierced everyone in the room. "So they all must die."

Carmen, who had stood quietly beside Demon only moments ago, stepped forward to address the group. "The attack will no longer be on just the girls, and now the Sons will be our main target to destroy. Once they are out of the picture the girls will be more vulnerable. Eliminate one of the girls and the prophecy will cease to exist."

"But the prophecy said that the girls would be able to defeat him." A young man with a shaved head spoke up, his green eyes locked on Demon. "Who's to say that by killing off one of them will not just infuriate them to try harder?"

"Because young one, these girls are driven by their emotions. Once the ones they love are dead, they will drown in their own sorrow, they will be unable to think clearly. That's when we end their lives." Carmen seethed. A murmur of approval rippled through the crowd in the large cave. "You are dismissed. Back to your posts."

The group quickly dispersed in silence as Carmen walked to Demon's side and rested her hand on top of his. "They aren't the only ones driven by emotions…"

Demon turned to face the girl, bringing his free hand to rest on her cheek. "Now's not the time, my love." His thumb grazed lightly over her lips before turning away from her.

Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out a single piece of paper, the one from the Book of Prophecies and placed it in the flames. He smiled as he watched the words burn.

_**Willing Their Powers To The Enemy, The Lives Of The Sons Will Cease To Be.**_

_**The Joining Of Equals Is The Key, To Find Their Other Half They Will Be Set Free,**_

_**The Four With Powers As Great As Theirs Will End This Curse Forever And Produce An Heir…**_


	16. Chapter 16

Ch. 16

"I don't mean to sound morbid or anything, but this might be one of our last nights alive," Blake said as she, Paige, River and Rylee made their way to Tyler and Reid's dorm room. The hall was eerily empty and chilly, not unlike most days in Spenser's dorm building. "So I was thinking we should do something as a group and then tonight we could spend our time with our guys."

Rylee smiled weakly. Her usual bubbly personality had faded throughout the day as the realization of what was to come the next day sank in.

"Gosh guys, stop being Debbie downers!" Paige said. "We need to stay positive. Have faith!"

"But just incase, you know?" Rylee said, her voice dropping to a whisper as they approached their destination.

"Yeah, okay." River stopped in front of the door. "How about we go to the park or something? It's a nice day out."

It was the end of October and cold but for once it was sunny instead of rainy and she wanted to take advantage of the little warmth. With silent agreement of putting on somewhat happy façade, River pushed the door open and walked into the room, not even bothering to knock first.

Tyler, who was pulling his Spenser's swim team sweatshirt on, beamed at Rylee as she walked up to him. "Hey," he said as he kissed her lips. A sly smile spread across his face as he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Did I tell you how amazing last night was?"

Rylee's cheeks burned red at the mention of the previous night when Tyler had surprised her with a huge homemade dinner at his house, complete with rose petals and a romantic moonlit walk around his 20 acre back yard. Rylee's blush deepened as she remembered the morning's conversation with her friends.

"Looks like you've joined the dark side!" Paige had said with a laugh. "Welcome to the non-virgin group."

Rylee grabbed his face in between her palms and kissed him again. "You've told me thousands of times."

"So what's the plans for today?" Caleb asked as he curled River into his arms. She leaned her head into his chest and allowed him to lift her into his lap.

"The park?" Blake said, twirling a dark strand of hair around her finger. She jerked her head to the window behind Caleb. "The sun's out and it's not too chilly."

"Sounds like a great idea," Tyler said. He stood and grabbed his car keys and wallet from the nightstand table. Using a foot he nudged the door open, letting the others pass before closing it. After walking in silence through the dorm building, their footsteps echoing off the stone floors, the group emerged into the late October air.

As Pogue led Blake toward his motorcycle where two helmets sat on the seat, Rylee walked with Tyler to his black Hummer and hopped in the passenger seat. Once in the car, the youngest Son of Ipswich leaned over the console and kissed his girlfriend's lips affectionately. Across the parking lot, Caleb courteously held the door open of his silver Mustang convertible before closing it and walking to the driver's side. With a silly smile, Paige made a big show of copying him by holding open the passenger side door for Reid. The blonde rolled his eyes who and climbed into her blue Mazda Rx8.

"Let's go to the park in town," Caleb yelled over the roar of the car engines. Pogue was the first to leave, starting the train of vehicles leading them into town.

* * *

Rylee squealed in excitement as Tyler pulled into the lot of one of Ipswich's many parks. "Oh, a swing!" she said, pointing. Before Tyler could turn off the car she was out of the seat and racing toward the playground, short hair flying behind her. His pace was normal but he broke into a jog at the expectant look from his girlfriend who now sat at one of the swings, kicking her feet. He laughed as he walked behind the swing to push her.

As Caleb laughed at the youngest couple as River started tugged on his arm, gaining back his attention. There was a large grin on her face. "Where are you taking me?" he asked, smiling.

"To the tower." River pointed to the highest point on the playground set. This was not like any normal swing-slide-monkey bar kind of playground, it was large and shaped like a castle with bridges, levels, and even a fake moat. Caleb raised his eyebrows but did not resist.

Pogue shook his head, laughing as he watch Reid chase Paige across a wooden bridge in the castle. He turned to Blake and took her hand, intertwining their fingers. "We look like 5 year-olds running around the park like this."

"Well it's fun just to be a kid sometimes," Blake replied. "Kids don't have to stress. Their lives are so easy."

"I don't know about that," Pogue said. "They have cooties to worry about."

Blake let out a laugh, rolling her eyes. "I didn't. I never thought boys had cooties." She eyed him in time to see him not looking at her but at something ahead of him, and before she could ask, Pogue spoke.

"Go over there," he said, pushing her towards a small metal tubes that stuck out of the ground. Blake recognized it as what she used to call a telephone where kids talked back and forth to each other from across the playground.

With a smile on his face, Pogue jogged to the matching yellow tube a dozen yards from where she stood. Blake raised an eyebrow as he motioned for her to put her ear to the end of the tube.

"Hey," he said. When Blake looked up at him he was grinning and waving goofily. Amused, she put her mouth close to it.

"You're so weird," She replied, locking gazes with him from across the way. A look of mock hurt crossed his face but a smile quickly replaced it.

"You love my weirdness," he said before pausing. "But I love you."

Blake stood up straight, heart fluttering as her boyfriend take a few steps toward her. Breaking into a grin, Blake raced toward him, closing the space between as she leapt into his arms. Their lips met in a sweet kiss before Blake brushed her fingers across his cheek as she gazed into his eyes. "I love you, too."

* * *

The next morning, Rylee lay fast asleep in the comfort of her warm bed when her dorm room door creaked open. Blake, who was already awake, looked up to see Tyler closing the door quietly behind him. "Hey, Ty," she whispered in greeting.

Tyler smiled a hello then made his way to his girlfriend's bed. Leaning down, he brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "Happy Birthday." He kissed her forehead and smiled when he saw her sleepy blue eyes looking up at him. "Morning, sleeping beauty."

"Morning," she mumbled as a smile spread across her face. "What did you get me?"

Blake laughed as she walked to the door. "I'm meeting Pogue for breakfast. Happy Birthday, Ryl's."

"Thanks," Rylee called as the door clicked behind her roommate. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she sat up and smiled at her boyfriend. "What did you get me?" she repeated.

Tyler rolled his eyes at her persistence and stood up, holding out his hand. "You don't get it right now birthday girl. But I am taking you out. So get your cute but up and get ready."

"Alright. Alright." Taking Tyler's hand with one of her own, she allowed him to pull her off the bed to her feet. After grabbing her shower things she walked to the door but stopped to glanced over her shoulder. "Don't go anywhere."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Tyler replied, watching her leave. When he knew she was far out of earshot he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. The phone rang only a few times before someone on the other end picked up.

"Hey, Rylee is just getting ready," he said, only pausing long enough to listen to the other person speak. "See you soon."

* * *

By noon both Rylee and Tyler's stomachs were pleasantly full as they walked hand in hand to his Hummer. Despite the fact that the clouds that regularly hid the sun were back, hanging dark and dreary over the small town, a smile never left Rylee's face.

"Thanks for breakfast," she said as she settled into the passenger seat. Tyler turned the key in the ignition and the car rumbled to life.

"You're most certainly welcome." He reached for her hand and held it as he pulled out of the parking lot. Minutes of comfortable silence passed before Rylee turned to him.

"Where to now?"

Tyler glanced at the clock before answering. "Well I was going to give you your present now, but it's at Paige's…she helped me pick it out."

"Okay!" Rylee replied happily. Nearly ten minutes later, he pulled into the driveway in front of a large house that looked as if it had come out of a movie. The stone walls held dozens of paneled windows, all dark. As Rylee jumped out of the car, a cool breeze caused her to shiver and pull her jacket closer to her body. She fell into step with Tyler as he walked up the front stairs and, not even bothering to knock or ring the doorbell, stepped right through the door.

"SURPRISE!"

Rylee stumbled back a few steps as a large group of people started singing the Happy Birthday chorus. With shock, Rylee gawked over the group and her gaze quickly found an older couple standing in front of the crowd. Tears instantly sprung to her eyes as the song ended and clapping erupted.

"Mom! Dad!" she cried out as she ran at the pair, flinging her arms out. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you kidding?" her dad started. Standing a foot taller than her, he had to bend down and placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead. His dark eyes were filled with water as he wrapped her in his arms a second time. "We couldn't miss our baby's 18th birthday!"

"My precious little girl," Rylee's mother, who was her height and just as slender grabbed her daughter's face between her hands and beamed. "You've grown up so fast!"

Rylee hugged her mom again then turned to see Paige, River Blake and all the Covenant's parents. "How did you guys pull this off without me knowing?"

"Well, all of your friends helped," her dad, Carl explained. "But if not for Kassandra and Tyler, we would have never made it here."

Tyler's cheeks turned pink. "It was more of my parents that did all the work," he said as Madison Simms hugged Rylee tightly.

"It was nothing, really," she said as she stepped back and allowed her husband to hug the birthday girl.

"Thanks everyone. Really this is amazing," Rylee grinned, looking around at her friends and the people she now considered her family. "Soo…where are my presents?"

Everyone laughed loudly at her eagerness as Penn Parry, Pogue's dad, pointed to the living room where a massive pile of presents sat waiting to be opened. Tyler lead the way into the living room and everyone else followed.

An hour later, Rylee sat on the floor in the middle of the room surrounded by a variety of different colored wrapping paper and bags. During the time of opening quite a large present from the girls, Paige took the bow and placed it on Rylee's head, making her look like a little girl with a crazy grin. River walked around the room with a camera snapping pictures of everyone that occupied the large room.

"You guys didn't have to!" Rylee said as she tore at the wrapping of the present the other girls got her. She eyed it with greedy excitement. It was the complete set of Rock Band, she hugged it before moving to the next present then realized there was no more to be opened. She suddenly turned to Tyler. "I still didn't get a present from you."

Tyler smiled widely as he walked to the middle of the room and pulled Rylee up from her sitting position then reached into his pocket. In his hands was a small, thin package. Grinning, Rylee looked up at him as she the box from his hands and started to unwrap it, unaware that the room had gone completely silent. Blue velvet tickled the palm of her hand as the wrapping fell to the floor. She held back as gasp as she lifted the lid, revealing a silver linked bracelet laying in the bed of velvet. "Tyler," she breathed. "It's so beautiful."

Grinning, Tyler took the bracelet from the box and placed it on her wrist. Rylee examined the single charm that hung from it. Engraved in the middle of it were two initials: _RB & TS. _She met his gaze and stood on her tip toes to kiss him. "I love it."

Kassandra stood from the couch and looked around the room. "Who's ready for cake and ice cream?"

An hour after cake and ice cream, Rylee thanked everyone for her presents and coming to her party as they bid their farewells and headed out. Rylee's parents knew of what was to happen later that night, and because of that reason, Kassandra made sure that Carl and Lola's flight back to California was well before that time.

Rylee was thankful. She didn't want her parents anywhere near Ipswich once the protective charm was broken. Lola stood at the door with her husband, coat on and face serious. Rylee was in front of them, trying her hardest not to cry and fall into her mother's arms.

"Good luck tonight," Lola said, then looked over her daughter's shoulders at River, Paige and Blake. "I know you will overcome this."

Carl kissed Rylee's forehead again. "Be careful. Don't hesitate and don't get distracted." A small smiled graced his lips, he leaned closer to the four girls and whispered, "and kick some ass."

* * *

Blake took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. "Okay so I understand why we chose the Dells to wait for Demon. But why in the hell does it have to be so damn creepy at night?"

"We've trained here before Blake, so just think of this as training," Paige said in encouragement before adding, "The only difference is that this is it's for real."

The two girls sat in the front seat of Paige's Mazda Rx8, the engine still ran and the vents blew out hot air, though Blake still found herself shivering. In the back of the car were Pogue and Reid, both silent as though lost in their own thoughts.

_What are they doing? _Paige asked Blake, using the telepathic connection she shared with the girls.

Blake glanced in the back. _I think they are getting prepared, you know, mentally. _She met her best friend's gaze with sad eyes._ They're risking so much for us. I hope it's worth it. _

Paige bit her lip. _I guess it's too late to ditch them now. And I know all of them would have a cow if they missed out on this. _

A snort from Blake broke the two boys from their train of thought. "Is it time?" Pogue asked with intense eyes. The girls nodded and stepped out of the car and let the guys out. Next to them Rylee, Caleb, Tyler and River jumped out of the Hummer all looking as intense as Pogue.

As Blake and Pogue joined the others, Reid pulled Paige to the side quickly. Immediately, she noticed his blue eyes were full of terror and worry. "Reid," she said as comforting as she could. "Everything is going to be okay."

"I don't want to lose you, Paige," he said, voice low. "The guys think the same thing about their girls, we talked about it last night-"

Paige hushed him as she brought her hands to his cheeks trying to calm his ranting. "Reid, do you know how hard it is to let you guys fight with us? It scares us so much, we would rather it just be us. But since all of you are so stubborn…" She offered a smile trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, come on. Things are going to be okay."

"I love you Paige Elliot, know that." Reid raised a hand to her cheek where his thumb brushed her skin.

"I love you, too." She kissed his palm. "but we are not saying our goodbyes."

"Guys," Caleb called from yards away. "It's almost time."

Once Paige and Reid joined them, Caleb and River led the way into the dark forest of the Dells. No clouds covered the moon as it hung luminous and high in the sky. Blake pushed her way to the front of the group, holding a small ball of fire in the middle of her hand. The flames cast light only a few feet ahead of her as she guided the others through the trees.

After about twenty minutes, Blake stepped over fallen tree and into a large clearing at the base of the cliffs at the Dells. To the right, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks reached them and the smell of salt water assaulted their noses.

"So now what?" Reid asked as he took Paige's hand in his and walked father into the clearing.

River made her way over to the edge of the forest where a large boulder sat, she perched herself comfortably on top of it. "Now," she said. "We wait."

Caleb climbed up after her and pulled her close, trying to keep her warm. Paige took a seat on the fallen log, joining Reid who had sat down quietly. Unable to keep as still as her friends, Blake started to pace back and forth. Not even ten minutes passed before Pogue grabbed her arm. "Stop," he said gently. "You're making me nervous."

Blake smiled apologetically as she forced herself to sit down next to him, who like everyone else, was trying his hardest to camouflage his nerves and fear.

Reid who prided himself by being known as the bad boy of Ipswich, was afraid. Though the fear was not for himself but for his friends. Tyler, Pogue and Caleb were like his brothers, he loved them will all his heart, even though he had never nor would ever admit it out loud. And Blake, Rylee and River grew to be very close to him in the past few months, this being the first time he had become actual friends with a girl without wanting to get in their pants. His gaze found Paige, who was staring straight ahead, eyes unfocused. He loved her more than anything in the world. His heart gave a little wrench inside his chest as he thought what life would be without any of them in his life. So right then and there, Reid vowed he would do everything in his power to keep them safe.

"How much longer?" Rylee asked, bringing Reid from his thoughts.

"Fifteen minutes," Tyler answered from his spot next to her.

Pogue took in a deep breath as his grip tightened protectively around his girlfriend's waist. He glanced down at Blake and kissed her temple lovingly. If he thought that what he and Kate had had was love, he was mistaken because it was nothing compared to what he felt for Blake. He had only known her for such a short time but he had fallen in love at the first sight of her. He couldn't see himself without her. At that moment he realized that Blake was his life, his future.

The minutes seemed to pass like hours, dragging excruciatingly on and on. "Two minutes," River announced as she jumped off the boulder, landing easily on her feet and walked swiftly into the woods. Only seconds passed before she returned but as a wolf, a bag that held her clothes hung from her jaws. Her eyes now glowed green as she set the bag at the base of the boulder then trotted to Blake. The dark haired girl's now purple eyes sparkled in the night. The fire that danced upon her palm grew bigger as she stood in determination, all fear gone from her face.

Rylee stood up, bringing Tyler along with her, her eyes already changing from blue to golden-yellow. She had barely let go of Tyler's hand before electricity sparked from her fingertips.

_Remember your promise. _Paige heard River's voice clear in her head as she stood. She turned her blue eyes to the large wolf and nodded. She had promised River that the odds went against their favor, she would make sure to get the guys out of the battle and to safety.

Time now seemed to race past them as Rylee kept an eye on her watch. "Okay, we have one minute. Remember the plan and keep ready and alert." Everyone was silent but acknowledged Rylee's words, eyes now searching the dark forest that lay before them; Tyler lifted his gaze to the top of the cliff.

"Twenty seconds."

The fear that once haunted their minds was now diminished to be replaced by determination.

"Eight seconds," Rylee's voice echoed off the cliffs. "Three...two...one…"

Unexpectedly, the girls cried out in pain as they felt like something was being torn from their bodies. River, still in her wolf form, yipped, crouching low to the ground, trying to make the pain stop. Paige's knees buckled from under her as the pain stabbed at her insides. Then just as quickly as it came it was gone.

Breathing heavily the girls slowly stood up straight, a thin layer of sweat was visible on their brows.

"You okay?" Reid asked, worry etched on his features as he cautiously stepped closer to them.

"Yeah," Rylee panted as she wiped the sweat from her face. "Gosh. Kevin could have given us a little heads up about how painful that was gonna be. Next time I see him, I'm kicking his ass."

Paige turned to River who seemed to be on the same track as her friend because the wolf sniffed the air, ears slicked back to her head as she raced from the group.

"What is she doing?" Caleb asked, staring at the retreating form.

"She's scouting the area," Blake answered. "She's seeing if she can sense anything out of the out of the ordinary."

"I'll teleport to the top of the cliff," Paige said, eyes glowing a light shade of pink. "Maybe I'll be able to see something from up there."

Pogue spoke up before she could disappear. "Reid go with her, just incase." Reid grabbed Paige's hand, who rolled her eyes stubbornly and then was gone.

A wind started to blow, causing the trees to sway and leaves to lift off the ground and swirl. The waves crashed even louder than before. River returned a minute later, shaking her head as if to say nothing was out of sorts. Paige and Reid appeared moments later.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. He licked his lips anxiously. "Where the hell are they?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Paige said, her gaze on the wolf. "Something is going on. Demon made it clear in all of River's dreams that he was coming… tonight, on Rylee's birthday as soon as she turned eighteen."

"Maybe it's a trick, you know?" Tyler offered. "Have us wait a while and let down our guard then attack us."

"Maybe." Blake said. "I don't want to go back to the house and have him turn up there."

Tyler crossed his arms over his chest. "I agree. I don't want to risk Demon being around anyone else. We should stay here tonight and take turns keeping watch."

"I don't like being out in the open." Caleb turned from the group and walked into the wall of trees. Blake was next to him holding the fire that floated in her palm out as a source of light. All kept their guard up as they made their way back into the woods where River frequently ran ahead of them to scout.

They didn't stop until they reached the small clearing where the guys first found out about the powers the girls had. It was the perfect place: quiet, confined, and River could hear anyone approaching from miles away.

* * *

It was now nearing day break and everyone was exhausted from lack of sleep. River had decided to shift back hours ago but kept her wolf senses with glowing eyes.

"River, do you hear anything?" Rylee mumbled grouchily. Tyler sat at full alert next to her keeping his eyes on the trees.

"No," River replied after intently listening for rustling of leaves or snapping branches.

"Do you _see_ anything?" Paige asked.

"No," She answered. Her eyes had been scanning the area every few minutes, looking for a shadowy figure or perhaps a flicker of red eyes but she saw nothing.

Two hours passed and the sun was shining brightly through the trees now, and still nothing but the woodland animals stirred. Blake closed her eyes as she rested her head on Pogue's shoulder. "River, can you _smell_ anything?"

River huffed loudly before answering. "Yes, I smell bullshit!"


	17. Chapter 17

Ch. 17

"River!" Rylee shouted in anger as she glared at her dark haired friend. "What the hell is wrong with you? I was expecting Demon to come waltzing out from behind a tree or something!"

River glared back but softened her gaze as she looked around at her friends. "Sorry," she spoke softly as she walked over to Caleb. "I'm just freaked out and paranoid! He should have been here by now."

"Listen, we are just as freaked out as you are, but paranoia is not the best thing for us right now," Blake said as she stood and stretched her arms over her head. "But what I really need is a shower and some clean clothes."

Paige leaned over and sniffed Reid. "We all need showers." The others laughed with her, feeling as if had been forever since she'd heard the sound.

Caleb looked anxious now as the rest of the group became more comfortable that nothing bad has happened yet. "I don't think that's such a good idea. Demon could show up any minute."

"Caleb, man, it's been nearly nine hours since the protective charm lifted," Pogue pointed out, running a hand through his long hair. "If he was going to attack I think it would have been sooner rather than later."

"We can all go back to my house," Tyler offered, his hand linked with Rylee's. "My parents went out of town this morning so the house is empty right now."

"Good idea, Baby Boy." Reid clapped Tyler on the back as he passed him and headed to a small trail that lead out of the woods.

"Whoa, whoa. Hang on a sec," Paige interrupted. "I think we, meaning us girls, will be okay for a few hours by ourselves so we can shower properly at my house."

"A few hours? No. One hour," Pogue said.

"Come on, babe! We're girls! And there are four of us." Blake shuddered at the thought of four girls with only one hour to get ready and a limited number of showers in the house.

Reid interjected before Pogue could argue back. "Okay fine. _Two_ hours tops. I don't like leaving you girls alone when a crazy bastard is out to kill you."

"We'll be quick and besides we will only be five minutes away and if something happens Paige can teleport us to you. Duh." Rylee added with a grin on her face.

"Fine." Caleb sighed as he gave in. "We will meet back here in two hours."

* * *

"Guys come on!" Caleb yelled up the stairs as he stood in the foyer with the front door hanging open. Tyler honked impatiently from his Hummer.

"Chill. The girls won't even be ready yet." Reid stated as he and Pogue walked down the stairs. As Caleb closed the door behind him, his phone started to ring loudly from his jean pocket.

"Who's that?" Tyler asked curiously as the others piled into the car. He shifted into the drive and pulled out of the driveway, heading to the Dells.

Caleb looked down at the screen with a raised eyebrow. "Huh. It's a private number." He raised the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"_Hey, it's me."_

"River? What number are you calli-"

"_Listen, me and the girls are down on the beach at the Dells…I think we found something." _

Caleb let out a little laugh. "You're ready before us? Shocking."

"_Yeah, just hurry up and get here!" _she replied before the line went dead.

Caleb stared at the phone in confusion, but it quickly faded. "Get to the Dells fast, the girls found something."

Five minutes later they pulled into the parking lot that lead down to the beach. A few yards down the path they spotted River standing near the water, just close enough that the waves washed upon her bare feet. Hearing them approach, she turned and grabbed Caleb's hand, pulling him farther down the beach. "This way."

"Where's Blake?" Pogue asked as she made her way up the beach and to the woods. He weaved between two trees and saw up ahead a cave set between two boulders.

"With the others." She pointed to the very spot Pogue had his eye on and glanced over her shoulder. Excitement was clear in her dark eyes, but it went unnoticed by them. Less than a minute later they stood just outside the mouth of the cave.

Reid looked around cautiously, pausing at the back of the group. Something didn't feel right to him and just as he was about to voice his thoughts, a light appeared in the depth of the cave. "What the hell is that?"

The light grew, and for a second Pogue thought it was Blake but quickly realized it wasn't flames. What was racing towards them was crystal blue like ice.

_That is ice! _he thought. "Get down!" Pogue shouted as tackled Caleb to the ground just as the ice shot its way out of the cave.

The ice collided with a tree shattering it in half and River screamed wildly as a small group of men suddenly appeared out of no where. Tyler stepped in slow circles soon realizing that there was no way of escape as the strangers surrounded them.

"River!" Caleb cried as his dark eyes landed on two figures that stood before him. A pair of blood red eyes bore into the now midnight orbs of the eldest Son of Ipswich. "Demon," Caleb breathed.

The edges of Demon lips formed a cold smile as his hand tightened around River's arm making her whimper in pain. His other hand reached up to her lips, tracing them with his long dark fingers.

Caleb took an angry step forward. "Don't you dare touch her!"

River's head snapped up, a look of complete terror set on her beautiful features. But then as he looked into her eyes, her features started to shift. Her hair turned lighter and red, her skin color became paler and her eyes lightened. Carmen now stood where River once was.

"She is quite an actress, isn't she?" Demon gloated, releasing Carmen from his grasp.

She stood up straight and walked closer to the dark haired Son who was frozen in shock. "Miss me?"

* * *

Paige sat on her large queen sized bed waiting for Blake and Rylee to finish getting ready. River stood next to the door tapping her foot impatiently.

"River, stop," Rylee said. "We have like twenty minutes before we have to meet them."

River huffed, not caring. She wanted to leave now.

Blake reached for her cell phone that sat on Paige's desk next to a full length mirror. "If it makes you feel better I'll call Pogue and see where they are." She dialed her boyfriend's number and held it up to her ear. "Huh. That's weird…it went straight to voicemail."

"I'll just call Caleb." River pulled out her phone and placed it to her ear, flipping her hair out of her face as she did so. "He always answers…" All of a sudden the room started to spin and everything seemed hazy as her vision faded. She could hear her name being called but it sounded miles away…

When she came to, she could hear Rylee's panicked voice. "-passed out or something."

River tried to sit up but the room started to spin again and her head ached. "Ouch." She placed a hand to her temple and squeezed her eye lids shut tightly. "What happened?"

"You were talking to us one second then the next thing we know, your eyes went all funny and distant and stuff…. then you started breathing really heavy and you fell to the floor." Paige's anxious gaze went to the other two girls. "You scared us."

It hit River like a ton of bricks making her sit up quickly and gasp in realization. In result, the room went in a whirl but she pushed through the nausea and got to her feet. "We have to go! The guys are in trouble!"

Blake's eyebrows pulled together. "What do you mean the guys are in trouble?"

"Paige! We need to go to the Dells now! What I had…what happened…it was a vision! I had a-geez I must sound crazy..." She took a deep breath and started over. "We don't have time to talk about this, the guys need us!" River stormed over to Paige and grabbed her arm roughly.

Without hesitation, Rylee and Blake took Paige's other hand and within seconds stood at the cliff of the Dells. "Okay, River. Not that I don't believe you but why are we here again?"

"I really don't want to explain this right now I just want to find Caleb," River retorted as she ran toward the beach, Paige, Rylee and Blake jogged to keep up with her. "They're in trouble. I think-I think Demon has them."

Rylee's mouth dropped open as she broke out into a full run "This information would have been vital earlier," she snapped. "Where did you see them?"

"At a cave somewhere along the shore." River answered as she pulled off her jacket and shirt underneath."Paige?"

"Got it." Paige's blue eyes flashed pink and disappeared from her friend's side. She reappeared shortly after and held out her hand to the girls. When she knew the others had placed a firm hand on her, she teleported them. When Paige let go of her hand, River opened her eyes to see that they were standing in front of a large cave.

"Is this it?" Rylee asked as River stepped forward, her iris' changing from dark brown to glowing lime green. Blake reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a blue Bic cigarette lighter, holding it firmly in her hand.

"Yeah, this is it." River looked back over her shoulder at her friend as she stood tall at the mouth of the cave. "It's a good thing I wore my old jeans today…" she said before they were shredded into pieces as she transformed into her wolf state. Her large paws quietly padded the dirt covered floor as they raced deeper in to large cave.

* * *

A sphere of ice struck Reid in the side causing him to fall to the ground and grit his teeth in pain. No way would he show these guys see any sign of weakness from him.

"Let's see what your made of, Son of Ipswich." Adrian, one of Demon's henchmen taunted.

"Fuck off!" Reid shouted as he jumped to his feet. A large ball of energy formed in his hands then sent it flying toward his challenger. Caught off guard by how fast Reid reacted, Adrian hurled himself to the side just as the orb shot passed him.

"Impressive," Demon, who had been standing off to the side watching. His red eyes gleamed in delight. "Very impressive."

Caleb glared at Demon with eyes the black as night. "What do you want from us?"

Demon sneered as he took a few steps closer to the four Sons. "What I want is your power."

Pogue opened his mouth, sure to shout obscenities but was interrupted by a man with long black hair.

"Someone's coming, Master," the man said, his gaze locked on the narrow entrance that veered off from the main cave. That's when Pogue heard it, the sound of footsteps echoing off the stone. He knew who raced down the tunnel and his heart filled with a mix of despair and hope.

"Abdon. Dakota. Omar. Toran," Demon barked. The four men stepped out of the group and dashed through the narrow way. Silence fell among the Sons, Demon and his followers just as muffled yells and shouts could be heard in the distance. Reid stared unblinking at the tunnel, heart racing within his chest as the path grew dark.

Then without warning, a ball of fire flew out of the small entrance, hitting one man square in the chest. With a short cry of surprise and pain, he combusted sending ashes of his remains to the ground at the feet of one of his comrades. A low menacing growl echoed off the cave walls as two glowing eyes appeared in the dark and narrow path. The large wolf stalked forward, teeth bared and ears low on its head. Behind it, three more pairs of glowing eyes came into view.

"Ah, what a surprise!" Demon opened his arms widely in welcome. "I was not expecting you so soon, but I guess now is just as good as ever." He motioned to his men who emerged on the four girls with no hesitation. River snarled and snapped her large jaws at the twelve approaching men.

Rylee's eyes flashed yellow-gold as electricity sparked in her open palm. A ball of fire danced from Blake's blue lighter and into her hand, her eyes glowed brightly of dark purple as the flame grew larger. Demon's men cautioned their steps and glanced hesitantly at their Master.

"What are you waiting for? Get them!" Carmen shouted from Demon's side. She grabbed Demon and pulled him away from the fight that quickly broke out before them. Carmen scowled at the large gray wolf that pounced onto the henchman nearest to her then onto another after she killed the first.

Paige reached to her left to grab Rylee and teleported her behind a group of men surrounding the Sons. Rylee sent a bolt electricity into the back of one unsuspecting man who screamed in agony before falling to the ground dead. Paige grabbed the man closest to her and disappeared from the cave, a few seconds later she returned alone.

"Where did you take that one?" Pogue asked as he, Caleb, Tyler and Reid raced to join the fight.

"Thought he'd enjoy a swim." Paige winked one glowing pink eye before vanishing once more.

Across the cave, Ian, a follower of Demon, raced around Blake with tremendous speed. "Slow down you son of a bitch!" she shouted as she threw fireball after fireball in his direction, though missing him by yards. Seeing Blake's dilemma, Paige teleported right in Ian's path causing him to collide with her. Both were sent to the ground from the impact with a loud thud.

Blake took the shot and sent a massive fire ball to his chest. Ian shouted in agony as the flames danced across his body, singeing him noticeably. Out of no where, a streak of blue ice doused the red-orange blaze that threatened the life of her enemy. Now, standing before her were two men. Ian sprang up from where he lay, running a burned hand threw his scorched red hair. The other man shot a sphere of ice at Blake which hit her in the shoulder.

"Nice one, Adrian," Ian applauded as he watched the young girl stumble back and clutch the bleeding wound.

"Two against one. Doesn't seem very fair," Adrian sneered at Blake as they pinned her against the cave wall.

Ian spat blood on the floor and glared at the dark hair girl before him. "Who said it had to be fair?" He brought a hand quickly across her face, leaving behind an angry red mark on her cheek. He raised his fist again to strike but a strong hand caught him around the neck and lifted him from the ground.

"Big mistake," Pogue said. The already dark orbs of his eyes flashed a ring of fire as he tightened his grip on the man's neck. Ian's body went limp and his expression lifeless as Pogue tossed him aside as if he were merely a doll.

Reid called for Pogue who dashed quickly to his brother's aid. Blake smirked after her boyfriend then looked at the remaining man before her. "Looks like the numbers are even." Furious about the loss of her friend, Adrian sent a jet of ice at her which she quickly countered. Fire and ice battled for dominance as they pushed back and forth between the two.

Sweat slid down Adrian's forehead and into his thick eyebrows as Blake began to overpower him. Terror was clear in his eyes as the flames grew closer and closer to his own hands, he could feel ice melting from the blazing heat. Knowing she had won, she pushed herself even harder to make the flames grow to their greatest extent. So with one last great push, the flames quickly swallowed Adrian and for the second time, an enemy fell down dead.

Demon watched the battle play out before him, watched when one by one, six off his men fought to their deaths. He watched Paige held one man still as Reid used his power to take the man's life. Feet away, two more henchmen fell lifeless to the ground.

"No," Demon growled in fury. "This war is mine!" His gaze found the youngest girl, hair flying as she spun in a circle, throwing voltage orbs at one of Demon's head men, Jad, who was able to duplicate himself many times over.

Caleb hurled an energy ball at Jad, but instead of dropping dead, his body shimmered away. "Which one is the real one?" he asked Rylee

"I don't know!" she answered, raising an arm toward one she was sure was a duplicate. But before the sphere was set free, she felt a hard tug around her middle as if the wind had gotten knocked from her lungs. Her knees buckled from the weight that suddenly pressed down on her from all sides. She slammed her eyelids as if not seeing would rid the sudden ache that had taken over her body. As her mind whirled, wondering what was happening to her, the heaviness faded and was replaced with a lightness that lifted her from her feet.

A hand grazed her arm, holding her up as she regained her balance. She gasped when her eyes opened and fear settled like a rock in her stomach as she stared at the man before her, his red eyes boring into hers.

"Enough!" he shouted. Though he didn't need to, for everyone had gone quiet at the agonizing cry of Tyler Simms.

"Let her go!" Tyler called again, taking a furious step forward, solid black eyes piercing.

"Ah, ah, ah, my young Son of Ipswich. One more step and she dies." One of Demon's hands twisted into Rylee's short brown hair, the other was curled around her neck.

"Tyler, don't!" Blake raced to his side, feet skidding as she stopped and slapped his hand down. The ball of energy fizzled out on his palm. "He'll kill her."

Tyler turned his furious gaze on Blake and threw her comforting arm from his shoulder. "He'll kill her anyway if I don't do anything!" He glanced at Demon, who now had a smile on his face, to Rylee who tugged helplessly at the hand around her neck.

"There is one way you can save her." Demon said in a low voice. The fury had gone from Tyler's eyes as he looked back up at the man who held his girlfriend hostage. "Will me your power and she nor any of the others will be harmed."

Rylee's eyes widened in disbelief as she saw the look on Tyler's face. He was actually considering it. "Tyler, no!"

_Get them out of here! _River's voice yelled inside Paige's head. Paige took one haste step toward the youngest Son but found two of Demon's men blocking her path.

"Detain the others," Demon ordered. The six remaining men easily overpowered the three remaining Sons, who reluctantly behaved, not wanting to make things worse than they already were. Blake would not allow the henchmen to get near enough to tie her so they settled for stationing two men on either side of her. Two more men had River surrounded, though they kept a safe distance from her snapping jaws and powerful paws. One man chased Paige around the large cave as she teleported from place to place, trying to get to Tyler and the Sons. But the tight barrier that surrounded the duplicated Jad's made it impossible.

In River's dream Rylee had been so scared and helpless, but now her face was set and determined as she glared at Tyler. "Don't you dare," she said through clenched teeth. She could feel her emotions, the hatred for her enemy and the fear of losing Tyler stirring within her. "Don't you dare do it."

"Trying to be a hero, are we?" Demon lifted her from her kneeling position by her throat and yanked her head back. "I guess you don't love her as much as I thought you did Son of Ipswich. Killing her will be no problem for me." His grip tightened on her throat. Rylee impulsively reached for his hands.

"Stop! Stop it! I'll do it!" Tyler bellowed. Rylee's body went rigid as Demon's fingers loosened from her neck. He took a deep breath and he tore his eyes from his girlfriend. "Do I have your word?"

"Tyler, no!" Pogue shouted, tugging at the ropes that bound him.

Demon grinned as his gaze bore into the blue eyes of Tyler Simms. "My word as a gentleman. None will be harmed after you die." His hand slid from Rylee's neck and down to her forearm. He took a few strides forward, and with him went the duplicates of Jad. He could barely hear the shouts from his friends over the pounding pulse of his blood rushing up by his ears.

When he spoke, it was barely above a whisper. He wished only Demon could hear, but he knew Rylee could hear because her eyes filled with tears as she tried desperately to get his attention. His gaze went to the ground. "I… will you…"

"Tyler, please! You can't do this!" Rylee sobbed, letting all the emotions she felt fall to the floor. "Look at me, dammit!"

He hesitantly raised his eyes to hers and saw a stream of tears leaking from her blue eyes. "Don't do this… please," she whimpered.

"I can't lose you," he replied, almost inaudibly. Unable to bear the pain and suffering in her eyes any longer, he tore his gaze his girlfriend's face and focused on the red eyes of Demon.

"I will you," Tyler started over. His voice broke as he fought to disregard the pleas from his brothers and the shouts and cries from Paige, Blake and Rylee. The growling from the chest of the large wolf grew louder than before as he opened his mouth to finish his sentence. "My pow-"

"No!" Rylee yelled so loud that every other noise was drowned out by it. Tyler unwillingly looked at his girlfriend to see her eyes flash to a yellow-gold that glowed so brightly that it hurt his eyes. A piercing cry came from her greatest enemy's lips as a large jolt of electricity coursed through her body. Demon was thrown back from the power of it and crashed into the stone wall behind him.

"Master!" Carmen cried and raced to aid her leader but was stopped by a large muzzle that clamped like an iron claw around her ankle. She screamed as a terrible pain shot up her leg as the bone snap in half. Face pale, Carmen glanced down and saw River who was seconds ago being detained by two other men who now lay dead.

Paige rushed to Reid and quickly untied him, Caleb and Pogue and then all four of them took off across the cave to Tyler.

Blake concentrated on the fire pit that was set in the middle of the cave for a source of light and let her eyes glow purple. A wave of flames leapt from the logs and speed off to the many carbon copies of Jad. "Oh, shit," he said as the wall of fire swallowed him whole, leaving several piles of ashes in its wake.

Satisfied, Blake joined her friends who were standing together facing the man who haunted them for so long. Demon raised himself from the ground laughing ominously as his blood red eyes landed on the group of teenagers before him, a inhuman smile set on his lips. "It seems I underestimated you."

"You sure as hell did," Reid growled, his eyes like black orbs against his skin.

"Master!" Carmen yelled again, struggling against the large wolf that tugged on her leg as if she were a play toy.

"The prophecy played out right before our eyes." When he turned his gaze to Carmen, she saw something she had never seen before in his eyes. Defeat.

"Master, don't give up!"

All four Sons formed balls of energy in their palms as a large flame danced in Blake upon her hand. Rylee built up a strong current of electricity that sparked from her finger tips. She wanted him to suffer, punish him for trying to take the ones she cared for more than anything from her.

"This is the end for you, Demon," Paige said from beside Caleb.

All at one time Rylee, Blake, Pogue, and the rest threw their power at the evil man, causing a massive explosion that sent bits of rock and dirt everywhere obscuring their vision. Demon's earsplitting scream echoed off the walls of dank cave.

Once the debris and smoke cleared, all that was left of their great enemy was a black-charcoal scorch mark.

Carmen kicked River in the snout, freeing herself and raced to where her master once stood. "NO!" she cried and turned to the group with a fierce gaze, revenge in her eyes. She disappeared from where she knelt, and reappeared yards away next to a fallen comrade and was gone in less than a second.

Silence fell among the teens as reality sunk in. "It's over," Blake laughed, pulling Rylee and Paige into a one armed hug. They had waited for this moment since the day Kevin had told them of the prophecy. "It's finally over!"


	18. Chapter 18

Ch. 18

River bounded to her across the cave and leapt onto her three gleeful friends, knocking them to the ground, her tail wagged happily.

Caleb walked swiftly to the wolf, took off his jacket and held it out to her. After shifting back, River wrapped the jacket around her naked body, thankful it was long enough to cover her short frame. As she reached her arms around his neck planting a large kiss on his lips, a loud smacking sound pulled them apart.

"Ouch!" Tyler shouted. Rylee rounded on him as he held a hand to his newly pink cheek. A look of complete shock was set on his face.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled, poking him in the chest with every word. Tears were at the brim of her eyes and threatened to spill over. "How could you do that to me? To them?" she flung a hand toward the others, all who stood stunned as they watched Rylee raise a hand a second time.

Tyler caught it easily and pinned both of her hands to her sides. "Rylee, I didn't want to lose you," he said, eyes serious. "What would you have done if I was in your position?"

She opened her mouth quickly to give an angry retort but nothing came out. She pursed her lips and held her heated gaze as Tyler cautiously removed his hands from hers and brought them too her face, and gently spoke.

"You would have done the same thing, I know it," he said. "I'm sorry. Please, forgive me."

Many moments passed as Rylee considered him, as if her blue eyes could see something no one else could. Slowly she let out a breath. "You're right," she said in a whisper. "I forgive you. I probably would've done what you did but that still doesn't make what you did right."

"I know," Tyler said, pulling her a loving embrace. The moment didn't last long because River cleared her throat loudly.

"We should probably get Blake to the hospital," she said pointing to her friend's bleeding shoulder. "That cut looks pretty deep and it's still bleeding."

"Yeah, it hurts like hell. That bastard had a cheap shot," Blake replied, leading the group down the narrow path and into the main part of the cave. The lack of light made it hard for them to see so, since Blake cradled injured arm with the other, River lead the way using her wolf sight.

When the pale, fading light of the evening was visible in the short distance, Paige grabbed Reid's hand. The soft wind blew the hair off her face and she took in a greedy deep breath."This is kind of weird," she said as they stepped from the mouth of the cave and into the thin woods that surrounded it.

"What do you mean?" River asked as the trees parted and the sand brushed her bare toes. She leaned into Rylee as the brunette flung a friendly arm around her shoulder.

"Think about it. For the past five years we'd been training for this major battle and it's over in less than 24 hours," she pause to pick up a seashell then pocket it. "Now what are we going to do?"

"I could think of a few things," Reid muttered in her ear. Paige giggled as hit him softly on the chest.

"Or we can have normal lives," River put in with a laugh. "Well as normal as a group of teenagers with supernatural powers can be."

Rylee stopped in front of Tyler's black Hummer and laid over the front of the hood. "God, I'm so tired. Can I sleep for like, a day?"

"Yes," the others agreed in unison.

* * *

After getting stitched up and leaving the hospital, Blake and Pogue made their way back to Paige's house, both tired and exhausted from the eventful day. When Pogue pushed the front doors open, the smell of baked cookies made his mouth water. Then the sound of laughter and chatter reached him from the living room, so he led Blake towards the noise.

Kassandra looked up anxiously as the couple walked in. "How many stitches?" she asked, offering Blake her spot on the couch. Blake sat down and settled into the cushions gratefully.

"Only twelve," Pogue answered, taking a seat on the floor. "Made up some lie about how she fell through a window and landed on top of glass." He looked at Blake with a slight grin. "He bought it."

River snorted in laughter from beside Caleb. "Sounds like a pretty realistic story to me. Klutz."

Kassandra gave River a disapproving look. "Now," she started as she made Paige scoot over so she could sit down. "I want to know what happened. The others wouldn't tell me until you got back."

"Okay, but you guys go ahead I really need a shower," Blake said, standing. As she left the room, Paige started off the story. She explained what happened when the protection charm was lifted, how painful and unexpected it was and how Demon hadn't shown even after hours of waiting. From there Caleb took over and told Kassandra about the phone call he got from who he thought was River, and the ambush; River interrupted at that point, describing the vivid vision she had about the trap. Each took the liberty to explain in great detail of the battle from start to finish when they fought Demon's men.

Then it was Tyler's turn, who regretfully told the situation to Kassandra about how he almost willed his powers away to save Rylee. Cassandra gave him a critical look.

"Tyler, I know it's in the past but you were acting on fear," she said with a shake of her head. "You should have thought things through."

"I know, I'm sorry." Tyler looked to the ground. "But Rylee was amazing," he praised, trying to get out of the spotlight. "I have never seen anything like it. The surge went right through her and into Demon."

"It was only because I was not going to let you die," Rylee snapped quickly before finishing the rest of the story.

"So two got away?" Kassandra asked in a worried voice after all was said and done.

Reid nodded. "Yeah, but one was pretty busted up. They won't be coming around here again, especially after they watched their that Demon guy get blown into oblivion."

"I am so proud of you girls." Kassandra gazed at each of the four girls in front of her as tears of joy filled her blue eyes. "The Prophecy spoke the truth."

Everyone froze as a knock on the door sounded. "Do you think…," Rylee let her sentence run.

Paige shook her head, clearing it of paranoia and laughed at Rylee's statement. "Yeah Ryl's, Carmen came to seek her revenge but she thought she'd be polite and knock first." She rolled her eyes as she got up from the couch and walked to see who was at the door.

A few seconds later, she reappeared with two people trailing behind her. Kevin, the Keeper of Prophecies, and Lucy smiled around the room in greeting.

"What are you guys doing here?" River asked with her eyebrows pulled together.

"Well, you certainly didn't think that I would just disappear after you defeated Demon, did you?" He turned his gaze onto the Sons and Kassandra. "Nice to see you again."

"Hello," Kassandra smiled back before excusing herself from the room.

"Lucy," he said, speaking to the woman at his side then pointed to the Sons. "These are the Sons of Ipswich."

"We do have names you know," Reid stated. Caleb gave him a quick look for his rudeness which the blonde ignored. Kevin didn't take offense to the impolite boy as he turned to the girls and rubbed his hands together. "So, tell me how you defeated Demon."

For the second time that night, the group explained what had happened in the past 24 hours to the two Keeper of Prophecies. During certain moments whoever was telling the story would be cut off by Kevin's praises, and Lucy who stood motionless beside him, did not speak. Once they were finished, Kevin grinned as he spoke.

"Prophecies always come true as long as the ones who are spoken of follow the right path… And it looks like you girls have chosen that path," he said, eyes lingering on the three couples that sat close to each other.

At that moment, Blake walked into the room, looking rejuvenated but her face scrunched up in alarm as she spotted the older couple. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at Kevin. "What are you doing here?"

"Actually I'm just leaving," he answered. "Well look at the time. We must be going, lots of prophecies to organize." He laughed at his own bad joke as he waved as he backed out of the room. Lucy followed, only after giving the teenagers a long look.

The door to the kitchen opened and Kassandra stepped through, holding a tray full of snacks and three cups of coffee. Her face fell as she looked around. "They left?" Pogue nodded. "But I made snacks," she said holding up the tray, sadly.

* * *

Kevin walked into his office, jaw set in aggravation as he turned to Lucy who trailed in behind him. "Just leave it be," he said. "Why not let them choose their own path, without the persuasion of yet another prophecy hanging over their heads. They have a choice this time…"

Her gaze was hard as she watched him settled into his chair, feeling her anger seeping from her pores. "What if they chose a different path other than the one that leads them to the Sons? These kids were destined to be together! And by you not telling them about the prophecy risks the chance of them being truly happy. If they choose the Sons then the curse that haunts them will be broken." Lucy took a deep, calming breath as she spoke her next words, quoting the new prophecy itself. " '_The Joining Of Equals Is The Key, To Find Their Other Half, They Will Be Set Free, The Four With Powers As Great As Theirs Will End This Curse Forever And Produce An Heir…_" She leaned on the desk, eyes intent on Kevin trying the catch his line of sight. "Don't you see? They need to be together. Tell them about the prophecy and let them make their choice that way."

He thought hard on what she said, not speaking for many minutes. He turned to her and a small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "You do have a point there…"

"Of course I do," Lucy laughed, letting the anger she held fade. "When will you tell them?"

"Soon," Kevin answered slyly.

* * *

"You boys are more than welcome to stay the night," Kassandra offered. She then pulled each one of the Sons into a hug and kissed their cheeks. "Thank you for helping them," she whispered. "I'm so happy you are all safe." She smiled as the eight teenagers headed up the stairs.

Though it was only a little past nine, exhaustion caused their eyelids to drifted over their eyes. The battle had taken far more energy from them than they had expected. Rylee yawned loudly and rubbed a hand over her face sleepily as they paused in the hallway. "I've never been this tired in my entire life."

Paige walked to Reid and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's waist, snuggling into his embrace as his arms linked around her. "You want to go to bed?" he asked and gave a small chuckle when he felt her nodded against his chest. "Let's crash."

Blake took a step forward and nearly collapsed from fatigue. Pogue caught her by the elbows and lifted her into his arms, being very careful not to put pressure on her injured shoulder. "She's worn out."

After saying goodnight to the others, Rylee walked into the bedroom and curled on top of the mattress.. Tyler smiled as he climbed on the bed after her, pulling her close to him.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he whispered against her hair. "I was just so scared that I would lose you and I don't know what I would do without you."

She turned over so that she faced her blue eyed boyfriend. He looked so regretful that the look on his face made her inside twist in sympathy. She forced herself to smile and tried to make the situation lighter by saying, "You have the others and I'm sure you do just fine without me in your life."

He shook his head, eyes serious. His fingers brushed the hair from her face tenderly. "A life without you isn't worth living at all, Rylee. I know we haven't known each other for that long, but I think I love you."

Though they laid in the near pitch black dark, he could see a smile spread across her face as she moved closer to him.

"You love me?"

He felt her breath on his face and moved his lips closer so that that they brushed hers. She pressed hers to his, letting the kiss linger before pulling away. "Yes, I do love you," he said as she curled up to his chest and closed her eyes.

"I love you, too," Rylee murmured as unconsciousness tugged at her forcefully but she didn't fight. She gladly allowed herself to drift, feeling safe and content within his arms.

* * *

Monday at Spenser Academy had arrived after a long eventful weekend, not just for the girls and the Sons, but for many other students as well. Apparently a huge Halloween party was thrown at Kira Snider's house on Saturday and it seemed that everyone who attended still suffered from a massive hangover.

"At least we don't look out of place," Pogue stated, looking around at the body of students that dragged their feet zombie-like through the halls.

River stifled a yawn with the back of her hand before speaking. "I don't think I have ever heard the halls of Spenser so quiet before. It's kinda nice."

At that moment, a loud commotion of shouting suddenly rang through the hallway. River's smile faded. "I spoke too soon."

"Who is making all that freaking noise?" Blake said out loud. She grabbed Paige's hand, grinning as she pulled her down the hall. "Let's find out!"

Though once within a ten foot radius, the source of the shouting was identified. Kira and Aaron stood in the middle of the hallway in a standoff, faces red and in the middle of a full blown argument.

"Shut up, Kira, dammit!" Aaron was saying. Kira hurried up to him, very aware of the mass of bodies that were now gathered around them. Her eyes darted toward the girls as they approached and she sent and loathing gaze as she spotted the Sons next to them.

Kira loved to be the center of attention, but as the crowd grew larger, she wished they would all disappear. "Baby, don't do this here," she said, glancing around them. "I'm sorry, okay? I made a mistake! Everyone makes mistakes. You have and I forgave you!"

"I only kissed another girl! You had sex with him, Kira. You're a slut." Aaron's insult was like a slap in the face as she took a few staggering steps back. Low _oh_'s and _burn_'s echoed through the laughing crowd as he turned and walked away, leaving his newly ex-girlfriend behind in unshed tears. She looked around at the dispersing crowd with fierce eyes as if daring them to say anything before she ran out the front doors.

Paige stared after Kira's retreating form, a feeling of pity set deep in her stomach. "Aaron's such a prick. He didn't have to tell the entire school that she cheated on him."

Reid scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You feel sorry for her?" His girlfriend nodded in response then let him kiss her lips. "Get to class, Elliot. I love you."

"Love you, too." She tugged at River's arm. "Come on or we'll be late to class."

The two girls walked into their math class and took their normal seats towards the back of the room. A few rows away Aaron Abbot sat chatting with Brody Becklin. Something that Aaron had said caught their attention.

"-met this chick, I think her name is Carmen or something but anyway, she totally came onto me, dude."

"Oh, yeah the hot red head that was at Nicky's last night?" Brody asked.

Aaron nodded once. "She wanted me so bad. But I thought it was one of Kira's little test, you know? The 'faithful test' as she calls it. Stupid shit of hers." He rolled his eyes and waved a hand. "I've been kinda done with her and was planning to get rid of her soon," he said, a wicked grin on his face. "So I paid some random guy to get her wasted and hook up with her."

His friend raised his fist and bumped it against Aaron's. River frowned in disgust. "Nice, dude. But why didn't you just break up with her instead?"

"Man you know how Kira is… if I just broke up with her she would find a reason for us to stay together. She's tricky like that." Aaron replied as he beat a single finger to the side of his head. "The plan was fool proof. I'm actually meeting Carmen at Nicky's this weekend."

River looked to Paige with her mouth hanging open in shock. "Coincidence?" she asked, though knew it wasn't just chance.

"In a normal situation it would be coincidence, River." She rubbed a hand through her blonde hair then glanced back at Aaron. "We have to keep him away from her."

"What, why?" River asked incredulously, her eyes now on him too.

"Because she's back for revenge. And I have a feeling she doesn't care who gets hurt in the process," she explained. "We unfortunately can't anything happen to him."

* * *

Later that night back in the dorms, River told the others about what her and Paige had overheard that morning. Blake's mouth dropped open in surprise of the quick reappearance of Carmen. It had only been two days and she was hell bent of revenge.

"Oh, this is just fabulous," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "And Aaron is such a dick! He's pathetic."

Pogue's brow furrowed, his shoulder length hair falling in his face. "I'm not so much as worried about Aaron as I am about ourselves…this chick means business."

"Guys come on," Reid said as he lay on Paige's bed with his hands behind his head. "If we can defeat Demon I'm sure we can easily get rid of his little girlfriend."

"That's true, but this time is different." Caleb ran a hand over her worried face. "She is using the public eye to camouflage herself, like a safe harbor. She knows we can't be exposed and if she is hiding behind Abbot it'll be twice as hard than if she were alone."

"We'll just have to be more careful about how we approach this situation," River said as she rubbed the back of Caleb's neck. "What I'm worried about is how we plan on keeping Aaron away from Carmen."

Rylee spoke up from next to Tyler who had an arm wrapped around her small waist. "Let's just find her and get rid of the stupid bitch."

Everyone stared at her. Tyler's mouth fell open at Rylee's hostility. Reid grinned in amusement, they had never seen the angry side of their youngest friend before.

"Don't worry we will get her," Blake smiled and rested a hand on Rylee's hand.

"Let's just hope she doesn't try anything that might expose us and magic," Paige added in a whisper before the lunch bell sounded telling the students that it was time to go to class. "Friday we'll head to Nicky's."

* * *

After a slow, excruciating week of school it was finally Friday night. Paige pulled her blue Mazda Rx8 into the almost full parking lot. Tyler's black Hummer and Caleb's silver Mustang followed after and filled the last few spaces of the town's favorite local bar and hangout for the students of Spenser Academy.

"God, I've missed this place," Tyler sighed as he and the others walked through front doors and were swallowed by loud music.

Rylee looked at her boyfriend, clearly questioning his sanity. "Babe, we were here just last week."

"I know," he replied. "But a near death experience has made me appreciate everything a lot more and not take things for granted. Like you, for example, I don't take you for granted." He leaned down and placed his lips on her pink ones, kissing her for a good few minutes.

"Chill out, you two!" Paige giggled. "Your gonna suffocate each other."

Tyler pulled away from his girlfriend a slight color of pink graced his cheeks as he followed Caleb and River to their usual table, towing Rylee right behind him. Blake and Pogue were already heading to the dance floor where her favorite song blared through the speakers.

Before Paige could follow, Reid pulled Paige flush against his body. "Baby boy's right, you know," he whispered as he trailed light kisses down her jaw line.

"Right about what, Mr. Garwin?" Paige grinned and linked her arms around her boyfriends neck, wanting so badly at that moment to be alone with him.

"About not taking things for granted anymore, Ms. Elliot." He reached up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Paige smiled as she traced his features with her fingertips. "I'm glad you agree." She kissed him one more time and pulled him in the direction of the pool tables.

They saw that Aaron and his crew were already there, finishing up a game with a freshman and his sophomore friend. Aaron and Brody were counting money, satisfied smirks on their faces. "Thanks for your money, fags." Brody said. He glanced up to see Paige and Reid just at the edge of the tables. "Look what we have here, Aaron."

Aaron smirked at the couple then racked up the balls, offering her a pool stick. "Care to play winner, sweetie?"

She glanced at her blonde haired boyfriend and winked as she took the stick. "Shall we kick some ass?"

"What's the wager?" Reid asked as grabbed his own pool stick and walked around the table.

"How about-," Aaron paused, clearly distracted by something. Reid stood up straight and followed his gaze, feel a dread in his chest as he saw a small red head heading their way, and it wasn't Kira.

Carmen walked to stand right in front of Aaron. "Hey there, handsome." She said seductively, her eyes flashed to Paige and Reid.

"Carmen," Paige whispered angrily. She sent a telepathic message to Rylee, River, and Blake saying Carmen was there and in a few seconds, they were right behind her.

"Hey," Aaron said in a charming manner, his eyes raked over her body.

"Abbot. What's the wager?" Reid asked again trying hard to act as normal as possible, though his breathing was now uneven.

Aaron opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Carmen. "When we win," she paused to grab the pool stick out of Brody's hand, "we get the girls."

"No way," said Pogue as he stood protectively in front of Blake.

"Oh, relax muscle man," Carmen grinned. "It's not going to _kill_ them."

None of the Sons missed the real meaning behind her words but Aaron on the other hand looked completely lost. "Why do we want the girls?" he asked Carmen.

She turned to him quickly and wrapped her pale arms around his waist, tip toeing up so her mouth was inches from his. "Well, I didn't think it'd seem fair if you were the only one having fun tonight. So if we win, then your boys can have some fun too."

Aaron smirked widely before turning to face his competitors. "How bout it, Elliot?"

Paige held up a finger to him telling him to hold on, then turned to face her friends. "This could be the only time we can get to her," she said in a low voice. "I say we go for it."

"No. No way, Paige." Caleb shook his head vigorously. None of the guys liked this idea at all.

"Seriously, I think I'm a little offended that you don't think we can take care of ourselves," she whispered, speaking fast. "There are four of us and only one of her. We have a variety of Power and she just has the shifting thing."

Jackpot. The guys couldn't argue anymore because Rylee had a fairly good point. Blake grinned widely. "That's right," She patted Pogue's cheek as Paige turned back to Aaron.

"Deal," she said. "But if we win you come with us."

And with that the game started. Aaron and Carmen vs. Reid and Paige.

Carmen was the first to hit and made two solid balls in the side pockets, starting off good. "Oh, you remember my friend Gareth, right?" she asked after sinking her third ball in her first turn, she continued not waiting for an answer. "He says hello and can't wait to see you again."

"Yep, sure do." Reid replied as Carmen missed her fourth shot. He lined up his own shot, and without taking his eyes off her, made it. "I can't wait to see him either so I can finish what I started."

The red head scowled.

Fifteen minutes had passed and it didn't look good for Paige and Reid, though they put up a fight. Paige made sure there was no cheating on their part so as Carmen took her last and final shot, sinking the eight, she stepped away from Reid.

"It sure feels good to win," Carmen gloated, taking a step closer to the Sons and the girls. She glanced over her shoulder at Aaron. "I'm bored here," she said. "You ready to go?"

When Aaron agreed, Carmen waved her fingers at the Sons. "See you around, boys."

* * *

As Aaron led all ten of them through the front door of his house, he pulled Carmen to the side and pushed her against the wall. His hands groped her and his lops caught her in a heated kiss.. "You ready to have our own private party?"

Carmen pushed him away slowly, seductively. "Meet me in your room in ten. I want to have a little chat with the girls first."

He complied, then peaked his head into the room where his friend were. "You boys have fun."

"I'd like a few words alone with the ladies real quick, if you don't mind," Carmen said with a smile. Brody and the others walked from the room, leaving the five girls alone. She turned to them and leaned confidently against the frame of the room. "This is a fun little game."

"Okay, you've got us. Now leave Aaron and his friends alone," Blake ordered, her eyes narrowed on the red head.

"But it's just so fun toying with him." Her eyes flicked to the stairs that led to the second floor. "And he is a good looking boy, so I just might have my fun with him after all." She pushed herself off the wood frame and backed slowly away. "Soon the world will be rid of the four who destroyed the greatest evil to exist."

"And how do you plan to get rid of us?" River snapped, her anger and impatience starting to get the best of her. "It's four to one. It hardly seems fair that we over power you. But then again, I don't normally play fair."

"Good. Because neither do I," Carmen sneered. Paige didn't like the smile on her enemies lips, she was up to something. "Well I'm off to have some fun. Boys," she called over her shoulder. Brody and the three other boys came back into the room. "There're all yours."

Each boy grinned broadly. The short black haired boy walked to River. "How bout we go somewhere quiet," he said as he reached out to touch her cheek. River smacked it away from her.

"Touch me and you will regret ever being born, Matthews." She snapped, her dark eyes dangerous. Chris took a cautioned step back, glancing at his friends as if to ask if she was bluffing.

Paige laughed once with no humor. "I'd be careful if I were you. She tends to have a temper." Just then Brody walked up behind her and pulled her back into his chest. "How bout you, Elliot? Are you a bad girl?" He breathed in her ear. Paige twisted in his arms so that she was facing him, a smirk on her face.

"Just remember one thing, Brody," she leaned closer to him to get her point across. "I broke Aaron's nose because he tried to get in my pants without permission and I have no problem whatsoever doing the same to you."

The last two boys hesitated with approaching Blake and Rylee, afraid of being threatened…or worse. "Man, this blows. We ain't getting any tonight," the taller of the two said. "Let's get outta here."

Disappointed about how the night turned out, the four boys sulkily made their way to the front door taking one last look at the four girls still standing in the living room before slamming the door shut.

Blake walked to the window and peeked out, watching as a truck pulled out of the driveway. "Alright let's get this over with." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a blue lighter. She then turned to exit the room with Rylee, Paige and River right behind her, but found that their path was blocked.

"Ah, crap," Rylee said as she took in the tall man before her. Gareth, stood tall with his blonde hair hanging in his dark green eyes. He's gaze was wild as he looked at each of the girls.

"It's nice to see you again," he said.

"Likewise," River bit sarcastically as she stepped backwards, farther into the room. She closed her eyes and waited for her power to come…but it didn't come. She could see her friends struggling to call for their powers from out of the corner of her eye. Neither of them were successful either.

"Oh, how silly of me," Gareth shook his head, standing just outside the living room. "Did I forget to mention that Carmen placed power crystals around the very room you're in?"

Realization struck the girls as what he said sank into them. Rylee remembered the definition Kevin gave them, describing what power crystals were…

"_Power crystals have been around almost just as long as magic has. They were created by a group of ancient Mayans who feared magic and those who possessed it… When these power crystals are placed in a circle or a square it creates a barrier, a force field. Anything within its confides is trapped and cannot escape or use magic. They sort of suck the power from you and leave you vulnerable…" _

Gareth smirked triumphantly, calling upon his own powers as a ball of energy formed in his hands.

"Well this isn't good," Blake said as she, Rylee, Paige, and River stood in shock.


	19. Chapter 19

Ch. 19

Gareth stared loathingly as he watched the four girls move, helpless and unsure to the center of the room. The energy ball pulsed eagerly in his hand. "I'll be sure to give my condolences to the Sons."

Just as he raised his arm, the front door burst open. Pogue rushed in and tackled Gareth to the ground as Reid gave one swift kick, knocking his enemy unconscious. Paige let out a little squeal of relief as the other boys ran into the house. Tyler glanced at the motionless man then to the girls.

"Why the hell didn't you fight back?" Tyler asked, walking towards the living room. He didn't make it far as he hit an imaginary force and was thrown to the ground.

Paige grimaced. "That's why."

"What was that?" Caleb questioned, a look of bewilderment on his handsome features as he stared unseeingly at the frame of the door.

Blake stepped closer to the Sons, but kept a safe distance from the invisible barrier. That's when she saw it. A small clear stone shoved in the corner of the room. As he pointed to it she could feel her body weaken of the power that made her strong. "Don't touch it but do you see that crystal? Get rid of it."

"The rock?" Reid asked, kneeling down to get a better look. His eyes bled black and suddenly the crystal was lifted off the floor and flew out the open front door. As they gained their strength back, River rushed into Caleb's embrace.

"How did you guys figure out we needed help?" She asked as Reid folded her into his arms protectively.

"We didn't like you handling Carmen by yourselves," he said. "When we left we saw Brody and the boys. They didn't look happy so we knew they didn't touch you. It's a good thing we decided to come sooner rather than later."

"Let's get this over with," Pogue said, unintentionally flexing his muscled arms. His eyebrows were pulled together, low over his intense eyes. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs with Abbot," Rylee said, making a face. She gave Gareth's body a fleeting look. "Um, what about him?"

For a moment the others had forgotten about Gareth. Paige stepped forward and rolled up her sleeves of her white long sleeved shirt. "Reid and I will take care of him. You guys get rid of Carmen."

* * *

As they ascended the stairs, Rylee wrinkled her nose. "Let's hope they haven't started taking clothes off just yet," she said, almost inaudibly. Pogue looked to her in confusion, but she merely shook her head and continued up the stairs. Moving down the hall, stepping as quietly as they could, Blake paused in front of each door and listening intently. Finally, after four doors, they found it.

"How are we going to get Abbot out of the room so we can get to Carmen?" Caleb asked in a low whisper. The others stayed quiet, having not thought that far ahead.

A small smile appeared on Tyler's face. "Leave it to me," he breathed with midnight dark eyes before materializing from were he stood.

_You might want to hide, _Tyler's voice rang in Caleb's and Pogue's head. Without a pause, Pogue grabbed River and Blake's hand and pulled them into the room across the hall, and just as Rylee rushed to Caleb's side, the sound of glass being shattered, followed immediately by a shrill alarm.

"MY CAR!" Aaron's shouted. Caleb and Rylee flattened themselves further into the shadows of the dark hallway as a half naked Aaron Abbot raced from his room and leapt down the stairs. Moments later Tyler materialized next to them, snickering to himself. "That should keep him busy."

"Nicely done, baby boy." Pogue smiled as he and Blake stepped out of the other room. Caleb gave a curious look silently asking where River was, but needing no answer as a large gray wolf prowled out from behind Blake, eyes glowing. She slinked by the group and into the dark room where and unexpected Carmen sat.

"River wants to do the honors," Blake said, relaying the message to everyone quietly, a grin on her lips. Caleb nodded his approval and watched his wolf girlfriend stalk into the dark room.

* * *

Carmen was half naked and more than irritated. _Typical male. More worried about a damn car than a naked woman in his bed, _she thought bitterly. He may have been a typical male, but she wasn't lying when she said she wanted to have a little fun tonight. She heard the door creak open and she straightened. After a few seconds of silence passed and Carmen's irritation flared.

"I'm waiting," she said, impatiently. Instead of feeling the intimate touch, a low ground sounded behind her. Carmen's eyes widened in disbelief as she spun around, meeting the familiar glowing green eyes of the wolf.

"No!" she cried out. "You're supposed to be dead!"

Rylee appeared in the door way then, her eyes glowing yellow-gold, a spark of electricity danced from her finger tips. "Sorry to disappoint. Your friend would have joined us but he is a little….well, he's dead now, isn't he?"

Carmen sat frozen as yet another dark outline of a girl appeared next to the first. Three different colors of eyes glared at the red head. "We would have made this even, but like you, we don't play fair," Blake said casually as she leaned up against the door frame.

Suddenly, Carmen dashed off the bed and grabbed her pants from the floor. Remembering that she was able to materialize just like the Sons, Rylee threw a bolt of electricity. She screamed and her eyes snapped shut from pain as the shock ran through her body.

The sound of paws on a wood floor grew louder as Carmen tried to even out her breathing, though the pain in her chest was making it hard to do so. Glad that the room was dark, she reached into her jean pocket and withdrew a small dagger. Snarling, River leapt onto the fallen red head, teeth bared.

Carmen's eyes flashed open and dug the dagger deep into the chest of the gray wolf. River yelped and dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

"Revenge is sweet, mutt," Carmen hissed before vanishing.

The lights snapped and Caleb shoved past the others, falling onto his knees at the side of River who lay unmoving. "No, no, no! River, can you hear me?"

She whimpered faintly in response just as Paige and Reid returned from disposing of Gareth. "Aaron almost caught…" Reid stopped and he face paled as he saw the thin dagger protruding from his friend's side. "Shit."

"Oh my god," Paige cried, tears springing instantly to her eyes. She dashed across the room and kneeled besides Caleb who looked to his childhood friend with a look of panic. "What happened?" she asked.

"She…she…," he tried to explain but he couldn't speak through silent sobs. Paige wrapped a comforting arm around him.

"What do we do?" Pogue asked. "Take her to the hospital or the-"

Blake cut him of with a sharp glare. "Don't you dare say veterinarian, Pogue."

"She needs to shift back then we can take her to the hospital," Paige said, voice shaky. "Where are her clothes?" Blake ran into the other room and returned with a bundle of fabric where she laid them at the River's side.

"Caleb, you need to persuade her to shift back," Rylee said gently, rubbing his back in encouragement. "Then we have to pull the knife out." He nodded mechanically leaned over River, speaking softly.

"Honey, we need you to shift back." He looked back at Paige with watery eyes as River gave a whimper of protest. "I know it's going to hurt but we have to get you to the hospital, please, shift back."

The gray wolf's eyelids lifted slightly, her faced contorted in pain as Caleb watched his girlfriend shift back into her human form before his very eyes. Rylee and Blake rushed to put her clothes on as gently as they could while Paige focused on getting the knife out of her chest.

"How bad is it?" Blake asked after successfully getting on her friend's jeans.

Paige shook her head, not knowing exactly how to answer. She wrapped her hand around the hilt of the dagger, bracing herself. "Caleb, I need you to talk to her. Distract her."

Caleb started mumbling random things though not really needing to distract River, she had passed out after she had shifted. The next second Paige held a bloody dagger in her hand and stepped back to allow Rylee and Blake to put on the rest of her clothes.

"What are you going to do with the knife?" Tyler asked, watching his oldest friend lift River gently from the ground.

"Get rid of it." With pink, glowing eyes, Paige teleported from the room and returned seconds later. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

"Damn it!" Carmen cursed herself, letting out a massive sigh after just narrowly escaping her own death. She was alone now, the last of Demon's followers, and to her she was the only one worthy of life, aside from Demon himself. He was her world and she had dedicated her life to him and now he was gone. Without him, she was lost. What would she do now?

But as the question crossed her mind, what happened only moments ago played in her head. A great giant wolf leaping toward her, jaw open and teeth bared, aimed for her throat. The small silver dagger plunging into the chest of the beast piercing it's heart. In a few hours the animal will be dead. A slow grin lifted the corner of her pale pink lips.

_Revenge is sweet, _she thought, _I needn't worry about the Sons, the death of their beloved friend will put them through enough pain and suffering to last a life time._

She had avenged Demon's death by killing one of the eight who murdered him and for that she felt almost satisfied. Thinking of her lost Master, her heart gave a squeeze. She had loved him and he loved her. "One down, three to go," Carmen said with conviction. "The girls of the prophecy will all die."

* * *

At the Ipswich hospital, Rylee, Blake, Paige, Tyler and Pogue sat, anxiously waiting for the news of their friend. River had been in surgery for the past hour, and the doctor had said the knife had nearly pierced her heart. Any closer and she would have died instantly.

No longer able to sit still, Paige jumped from her seat and started pacing the room. Reid watched her closely as if expecting her to break down at any moment. As he went to reach for her, the doors opened and Caleb stepped through, face full of relief but with worried eyes.

"How is she?" Blake stood up from her seat, her red eyes wide.

Caleb swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "The doctor said the surgery went well and she will be fine." A faint smile crossed his face. "She's resting now so we can see her soon."

"Thank God," Rylee sighed, placing her head in between her hands that rested on her knees. Tyler let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding and turned to Paige who was crying tears of happiness at the good news.

Two hours later, a petite blonde nurse walked into the waiting room. "Miss Daniels is awake and wishes to see you," she spoke with a soft, high-pitched voice. Quickly all seven of them stood up and walked through the door.

"Room four-seventy-six," Caleb informed and pointed Rylee, Paige and Blake in the right direction. After making several turns and continuing down a lengthy hallway, they found the room. "You girls go in first."

The girls nodded, all giving weak smiles before entering. River lay still in the small hospital bed with her eyes closed, an IV stuck in her left hand. The soft beeping of the machines sounded quietly from the corner of the room. Hearing her friends quiet steps, she opened her eyes.

"Hey," she sad with tired eyes. She motioned her friends further into the room and smiled up.

"How are you feeling?" Paige asked, giving River a light squeeze on her shoulder.

"I'm good, just a little sore." River moved her hospital gown to the side, revealing red stained bandages where the knife had once protruded from.

"We were so scared, River." Blake reached over and patted down her friend's dark hair. Then she smiled playfully. "But I have to say, taking a knife to the chest makes you pretty badass."

River let out a little laugh then winced at the pain it caused her.

"Man, don't make me laugh," she said, taking a slow, deep breath. "Guys, seriously, quit acting like I'm going to fall apart. So I got stabbed, no biggie."

Rylee rolled her eyes. "You would joke about something like that. I'm so glad you're okay, though." She glanced back at the door where a knock had just sounded. "The guys are going to break the door down if they don't see you soon."

"Caleb was near hysterias," Blake said, running a hand through her long hair. "He really cares about you."

At that moment, the door cracked open and Caleb peeked his head inside. "Sorry girls, but I couldn't wait any longer. My turn." The girls filed out of the room, blowing kisses and waving as they went, leaving just Caleb alone with his girlfriend.

Caleb kissed her forehead tenderly, and as he took a seat on her bed, he grabbed her hand. She stared at him and he stared at her. After a few minutes, she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his palm.

"You know, Tyler was right," she said.

"About?" Caleb asked. River stared deep into the dark eyes of her boyfriend, her lips pulled up at the sides as she took in his handsome face.

"About near death experiences changing the way people look at things and not taking them for granted. So now boyfriend, I have something I want to tell you," she sat up straighter to get a better look at the man that sat next to her. "I love you."

Caleb grinned from ear to ear and leaned forward to kiss her lips. "I love you too, River." A blush crept to his cheeks as he fought to say what was on his mind. "I'm so glad you said it because I was a little nervous to say it first."

"Aw. Well you were going to say it so that's all that matters." River beamed then heard the door creep open. "Hey Reid," she said as the blue eyed blonde walked into the room, followed closely by Tyler and Pogue.

"You look better," Reid said, musing her dark hair.

River rolled her eyes at the blonde. "Thanks," she said. Then it hit her, she had allowed Cameron to escape. In anger at herself, she threw herself back into the pillow and winced as a sharp pain tore through her chest.

Seeming to know what she was thinking, Pogue laid a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her. "It's not your fault," he said. "We nearly had her. She's tricky little bitch. But we'll get her sooner or later."

River gave him a grateful smile. Her hand rested on the tender part of her chest, where the knife wound was healing; though more slowly than any other wound she'd received. Carmen's face danced behind her eyelids as she closed them, and her blood started to boil in hatred at the sight of the girl who had narrowly escaped death twice.

"The bitch is definitely gonna pay," she said in a growl.

* * *

The next day, River was released from the hospital almost as good as new. The doctor had been astonished at the progress of how well her healing was going but before he could ask questions, River mumbled that it was due to good genes and luck. So, wrapped in a black fleece sweater, River stepped out into the cold air and inhaled greedily.

Caleb's warm hand wrapped around hers and she met his dark eyed gaze. "Come on, let's get you back to the dorms."

Twenty minutes later, they walked into the empty dorm building. The cold air rushed in, causing River to shiver and hurry further into the hall. It was a little past two so all the other students of Spenser Academy were in class.

"So why aren't you in class, Mr. Danvers?" she wondered thoughtfully as they ascended the stairs. Their footsteps echoed as they made their way down the hallway to her room.

"I've been excused for the day," he replied with a smirk. Seeing River's bemused expression, he added, "Being a Son of Ipswich has its perks."

River rolled her eyes as she opened the door. She gave a low moan as she spotted her bed and hurried to it where she curled under the comforter. Her eyes shut almost instantly wanting sleep to take over. But the shifting of the bed reminded her that Caleb was there with her.

"You have no idea how comfortable this bed is compared to the hospital one," she said, still with her eyes closed. She reached for Caleb as he laid down and pulled her gently into his arms. Loving the feel of his touch, she cuddled closer and breathed in deeply, taking in his scent. When she opened her eyes she saw that he was staring.

"You're so beautiful," he said, brushing the back of his fingers across her cheek.

"Yeah, right." She laughed lightly. "But you sure do know how to make a girl blush."

"I tend to have that effect on most girls." He grinned as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "I'm kidding."

River stopped and settled back in his arms. "Actually, you're probably right. I think I'm a pretty lucky girl to have bagged a 'Son of Ipswich'."

Now it was Caleb's turn to roll his eyes. He moved a piece of her hair from her face. "Pogue said something the night we met you girls. You know what he said?"

"No, What?"

"He said that it kind of seemed like fate," Caleb said thoughtfully, remembering the night when Paige first introduced to him to River.

With a flutter in her stomach, she asked, "How so?"

Caleb smiled a beautiful smile that made River's heart melt. "Because that night each of us fell for one of you."

"You know," River laughed after a few seconds of thought. "We did the same thing. That night we called dibs on you guys."

"Oh, yeah? And you called dibs on me?"

"Actually, I had my eyes on Tyler," she said sarcastically. "No, but really. Yes, I wanted you, Rylee wanted Tyler and Blake wanted Pogue. Paige said she didn't want anything to do with Reid, but we knew better."

"It's weird that we paired off like that. It could have been two of us liking the same girl, you know?" Caleb said as he drew patterns on River's forearm with his finger. "But I like how it ended up." He kissed her lips softly, letting it linger.

Their lips parted and River smiled, her heart beating faster. "Me too."

The dorm room door opened without Caleb or River noticing and in walked Paige and Reid. "Aw. Look at the happy couple," Paige as she walked over to where River was and wrapped her arms around her dark eyed friend in an awkward hug. "Glad you're out and about."

"Thanks." River smiled then turned her attention to her boyfriend. "I've been sitting in one place for too long. You guys wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure." Reid said. And as all four of them were walking down the hall, a thought suddenly occurred to River. "What happened with Aaron last night?"

Reid turned to Paige, grinning at her before he answered. "Well," he started out. "When me and Paige got back we heard Aaron coming down so we were almost caught…"

"But Reid shoved me into a closet and jumped in after me…Aaron ran right past us." Paige finished, before adding, "Then I locked him out of his house."

"Nicely done, my friend." River applauded as the four of them stepped outside back into the chilly air. Spenser's campus was now full of students leaving the school grounds or hanging out.

"Garwin!" Someone shouted from behind them. They turned around to see Aaron Abbot storming toward them, a look of complete fury on his face. Following closely behind him was of course Brody.

Reid's eyebrows pulled together as they got closer. "What do you want, Abbot?"

Aaron didn't stop until he was nearly nose to nose with Reid. "You owe me a new windshield," he growled.

"I didn't touch your car." Reid smirked, for once he was not the one who got under Aaron's skin. It was actually Tyler who had smashed his front windshield in, though Aaron would never find that out.

"Bullshit. I know it was you, you were pissed that we won the game at Nicky's and we took home your girls." Aaron retorted, his eyes locked on Reid's.

Paige stepped in between the two before Reid could reply. "Babe, ignore him. You know you didn't do it, I know you didn't do it, he knows you didn't do it." She jerked her head to Aaron behind her. "He just needs someone to blame and the first person that came to mind was you. Let's go."

Without even giving Aaron a second look, Reid and the others turned to walk away.

"Yeah, that's right, listen to your little slut Garwin," Brody called to the blonde Son of Ipswich who stopped in his tracks and slowly turned back around. Brody smirked and Reid wanted to punch him that look right off his face.

River placed her hand on Reid's bicep, readying herself to hold him back if necessary. "Reid don't. He's not worth it."

Aaron turned his head to River. "Mind your own business, bitch."

She glared at him and Caleb took a step forward. "Shut your mouth, Becklin!"

"Is there a problem here?"

Brody and Aaron turned to see Pogue staring at them, his jaw set and his eyes threatening. Tyler, Blake and Rylee stood behind him.

"No," Aaron said, knowing he was now outnumbered. "No problem here."

Brody and Aaron stalked off without another word, though not before sending one last glare in Reid's direction.

River gave one humorless laugh. "Will the drama never end?"


	20. Chapter 20

Ch. 20

Nearly a month had passed and it was the day before New Years Eve. A light flurry of snow blanketed the roads of Ipswich, shimmering in the fading light of the evening.

"Gosh, you'd think that me being here for four months I'd be used to this cold weather," River said as a small shiver ran up her frame. She pulled her winter coat tighter. Even though the heat was on in the car she was still cold.

Caleb chuckled and reached to the controls in his Mustang to turn up the heat to it's fullest, then he placed his hand on his girlfriend's leg. "Is that better, California girl?"

River rolled her eyes and smiled as the hot air from the vents hit her face. She breathed deeply to let out a contented sigh but winced when her lungs were nearly full. Her hand flew to her chest, clutching right over her heart.

"You okay?" Caleb asked, glancing back and forth between the road and his girlfriend. River nodded, rubbing the spot where her enemy had driven a dagger into her chest nearly piercing her heart. Every once in a while, if she moved a certain way, she would feel a sharp pain as if it was all happening again. It had been the first wound that hadn't exactly healed right, but at least, she thought, that she was alive. It had been a month since that night and a month since they had last seen Carmen. That night brought both good and bad memories to River.

The bad, of course, was being stabbed by a psychotic woman wanting revenge for the death of her lover and master. Being so close to death made River realize that she needed to live everyday to the fullest and make sure that everyone that she loved knew just how much she loved them. That night was the night that she felt herself grow emotionally closer to her friends and most of all to Caleb. She had also told Caleb that she loved him, and he confessed his love for her as well.

A deep voice broke her from her daze, and when she turned to Caleb she noticed that he had turned off the car. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just things that have happened," she answered with a smile. Caleb gave her a loving grin before he stepped out of the car and went to the other side to open the door for her. She took his hand in his and huddled to his side as they walked into Ipswich's local hangout.

Nicky's was just as crowded as any other night. The music played loudly from the jukebox and the chatter of the bar's occupants were almost just as loud.

"Hey guys!" Blake greeted happily when she noticed the two approaching their usual table. Pogue smiled and bumped fists with Caleb. The dark haired Son shrugged off his jacket and offered to take River's but she shook her head.

"Still not warm enough," she said. Caleb rolled his eyes and took a seat. "Where're the others?"

"Paige is getting the food," Pogue answered and lifted his chin to the bar where their blonde friend stood waiting patiently, chatting with some juniors from Spenser. "And where else would Reid and Tyler be but at the pool tables?"

Blake grinned and turned her gaze to the two Sons of Ipswich across the bar. "Rylee's like their little cheerleader," she commented as she watched the younger girl give Tyler a congratulatory kiss and a smack on the butt. The opposing member scowled and was red in the face. Aaron Abbot glared at the three and quickly turned to his girlfriend for moral support. Kira Snyder whispered in his ear and a wicked smirk spread on his face.

Aaron and Kira had gotten back together about three days after the drama that went down in Spenser's hallway. Rumor was that Aaron begged Kira to take him back, saying that he didn't mean anything he'd said and that he loved her. And of course, Kira welcomed him back with open arms…well, open legs.

The three made their way back to the table. Tyler grinned as he took a seat next to Blake and pulled Rylee down next to him. Reid had just taken his own seat when Paige appeared, expertly balancing two trays on her hands.

"Hey you two!" she said, eyeing Caleb and River. "Hope you're hungry because there's a lot of food." Paige passed out the basket of fries and burgers, not worrying about whose was whose since everyone ordered the same thing, then plopped down on Reid's lap.

"So," Paige started, "tomorrow. New Year's Eve party. My Place."

Blake's jaw dropped. Under a raised eyebrow she eyes her blonde friend suspiciously. "How did you swing that one?"

"It was my mom's idea if you can believe it," Paige answered with a laugh. "She's going to a little party of her own, so she thought it would be okay if we had one. Strange, huh?"

Tyler chuckled in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Awesome!" Blake said, excitement written all over her face. Her smile turned into a sheepish one as she bit her lip and added, "But I want to remember this New Year."

Rylee let out a fit of giggles that made Tyler jump in surprise. "Oh! God, Blake you were so wasted that night!" River joined in Rylee's amusement as she laughed openly.

"Shut it, Daniels!" Blake laughed. She pointed a slim finger at her dark haired friend that sat across from her. "You were even more wasted than me!"

"That may be true but at least I didn't decide to go skinny dipping while singing '99 bottles of beer on the Wall' like someone I know." River's gaze landed on Paige who immediately hid her face behind her hands.

Between her fingers, the others could see that a pink color had flooded her cheeks. "Oh man," she said, sounding muffled. "I had a hell of a hangover the next day." River, Rylee and Blake then went on about it and actually started a chorus of '99 bottles of beer on the wall'. Paige let out an embarrassed laugh and dropped her head to the table, groaning for them to stop.

"Alright guys, I think you've embarrassed my girl enough for one night.," he said as he stood up from his chair and stretched. "You ready to head out?"

She playfully narrowed her eyes at her three girl friends as she pulled on her jacket, preparing to leave with Reid. "Even though you continue to make fun of me, I guess I'll still allow you at my party. Don't forget party at my house tomorrow, start inviting people."

With a grin Pogue leaned his head back and cupped his mouth. "New Year's Eve bash at Paige's! Be there!" After he finished, those who knew who Paige was cheered and hollered in excitement.

"Geez!" Blake yelled, pulling her hands away from her ears. "You didn't have to yell right in my ear."

Tyler shook his head, laughing. "Well there's one way to let everyone know."

* * *

Pogue stepped into Paige's house carrying a bag of food and drinks. He grinned at Blake as she stepped in behind him, a duffel bag swung from her shoulder as she shut the door. A look of annoyance as she watched her boyfriend dance to music that did not exist. "Par-tay!" he sang.

"Shut up!" Blake snapped as she closed the door behind her and grabbed the bag from his arms. "Okay, I realize that it's been since you've been to a house party but really you need to shut up." She went to walk past him but his muscular arms encircled her waist, stopping her.

"Sorry baby. I'll stop being so annoying," he said with a little laugh. He grinned as he pulled her closer and kissed her lips. "You know, you snapping at me like that was kinda hot."

Blake rolled her eyes but didn't hide her smile that was now on her lips. "You're so goofy," she said before turning on her heels, making her way to the kitchen. As they entered the room, they found Paige and Reid in a passionate embrace; their arms holding each other tight.

Being completely unnoticed by the couple, Pogue cleared his throat. Paige immediately detached herself from Reid who gave his friend a sour look.

"Knock next time," he mumbled as Paige ran a hand through her mused blonde hair.

"Next time get a room," Blake countered, winking in his direction. Turning her attention back to Paige, she lifted the back of food and set it down onto the counter. "We brought snacks and drinks."

Paige's eyes went to the bag in her other hand. "Is that your outfit for tonight? I wanna see it!" Giggling, she grabbed Blake's hand and ran out of the room with her. The boys watched them leave and Pogue turned to Reid with a raised eyebrow. He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to star at the blonde.

"What?" Reid asked hesitantly.

"It's funny to see you like this," he replied with a grin. He walked around the marble covered island and plucked an orange from a bowl next to the stove.

"Like what?" Reid leaned against the refrigerator, frowning slightly as he looked back at Pogue. He didn't really know what his friend was talking about but the look on his face told Reid that he was being made fun of in one way or another.

"Seeing you act the way you do with Paige." Pogue let out a little laugh and shook his head. "Spenser's own bad boy, the Hugh Hefner of high school is in an actual relationship and in love."

Reid opened his mother to reply but before he could say anything, Caleb and Tyler walked into the room. It must have started to snow again because their dark hair was flecked with tiny white snowflakes.

"Hey," Tyler said, swinging himself up onto the countertop. "Rylee told me we're in charge of preparing the food. She made it clear that we should start now."

Pogue shook his head in amusement. "Do they not know that Caleb can't cook to save his life?"

"Hey now," Caleb said, clearly offended. "I can to cook." At Reid's doubtful look he rephrased his words. "Okay, fine, I can't cook. But I think I can manage throwing some chips and dip together."

Laughing, Reid grabbed a bag of chips from the brown bag and tossed it to the older Son of Ipswich. "Here you go, Top Chef. Do your magic."

Caleb rolled his eyes and tore open the bag, saying with a fake French accent, "Bon appétit."

* * *

Upstairs, Paige and Blake stood in front of Paige's bed staring at two outfits that had been laid on top of the mattress.

"I like yours," Blake said, pointing to the white shirt and dark denim jeans. She glanced over at the door just as Rylee and River entered the room. Both their faces were pink from the bitter cold of December.

"I hate cold weather," River said. Rylee opened her mouth to agree but Reid's voice boomed up the stairs, interrupting her.

"Paige, Kevin and Lucy are here," he said. The four girls had just enough time to share a confused look when Lucy walked into the room, Kevin trailing leisurely behind her.

"Hi, girls," Kevin greeted with his usual cheeriness. Lucy, who usually stood stoically to the side and let Kevin do all the talking, stepped forward and addressed the girls.

"We do not mean to drop in on you uninvited but we found something that can and will greatly impact your life." Her dark eyes were serious as she looked from one girl to the next. "You might want to have a seat," she added as a afterthought.

It had been the first time they had actually heard Lucy speak other than the usual greeting of 'hello'. Hearing her now, Paige was a little surprised to hear that her voice wasn't soft as she had expected but powerful yet somehow kind.

"Okay." The word was hesitant as Blake took a seat at the edge of the bed. She gave Lucy her full attention. "What's up?"

But it was Kevin who spoke next. He waited patiently for the other girls to find a seat and get comfortable. But with the way the older pair were acting and by the looks on their faces, it was impossible to do. A sudden tension had filled the room, making Rylee wring her hands nervously in her lap. She sat with her feet tucked under her on the floor, blue eyes wide and wary as Kevin opened his mouth.

"There is a way," he said, "to stop the aging process for the Sons of Ipswich and their future bloodline."

Both of River's eyebrows rose in confusion. "That's great," she said, sincerely. "but why are you telling us and not them?"

"_T__he Joining Of Equals Is The Key, To Find Their Other Half, They Will Be Set Free, The Four With Powers As Great As Theirs Will End This Curse Forever And Produce An Heir." _Kevin let out a breath. "There has been another prophecy.

"I'm completely lost, Kevin." River said, even more confused that she was before. She glanced at her three friends, they looked just as baffled as she did.

With a small smile, Lucy spoke for the second time that night. "You are the key to stopping the aging process. _The joining of equals is the key…_ that speaks of your union with Sons, you all are equal because of your powers. _To find their other half they will be set free, The four with powers as great as theirs will end this curse forever and produce an heir._" Lucy pointed to Rylee who sat right in front of her. "You are Mr. Simms' other half. And the same goes for you other girls. The one you are with now, the boys that are downstairs this very moment are your other halves. You can stop them from aging."

Silence.

None of them knew what to say or how to respond. First, Lucy and Kevin had shown up unexpectedly and now there was a new prophecy, another one that didn't just involve them but the Sons as well. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Blake found her voice and asked, "So let me get this straight, we stop them from aging by just…being with them?"

"Well," Lucy started, clearly relived that someone had spoken up. "You being with them has slowed it, yes. But for it to stop completely an heir must be produced."

Paige laughed without humor. Her gaze flicked from Lucy to Kevin then back again. "By producing an heir you mean…" She let the sentence hang out in the open, wanting to make sure she had heard her right. Lucy nodded once.

"We have to have their babies?" Rylee's eyes widened and her face flushed.

"Like I said before, that is the only way to stop it completely," Lucy said in a calming. "Of course not now or anytime soon. But when or if you do, the curse will be gone from them forever."

"You have a choice this time." Kevin's tone was serious. "Whether you follow the path of the prophecy or go down a completely different one…Whatever path you choose is the right path." He let out a breath as if he had been holding it for a while. "I'm sorry if we ruined your night but you needed to know."

With that he turned to leave, Lucy already at the door, smiling around at the four girls. But before they could completely walk from the room, Paige stood up and laid a hand on Kevin's arm.

"Why did you just tell us and not the guys?" she asked when his gaze met hers. Kevin gave a warm smile that seemed to soften the tension in the room.

"They have no say in what path you choose, Paige." As he spoke the words, she knew he was right. "Even though I know they wouldn't, I do not want them to persuade you or make your decision for you. They have dealt with the curse for so long…if it stays with them they will know no difference. We don't want you to feel forced."

When nothing more needed to be said, Lucy tipped her head in farewell. "Have a Happy New Year." And then they were out of the room, their footsteps echoing down the wooden stairs. Moments later, they heard the front door close, signaling that the older pair had gone.

The four girls kept quiet, all staring after the couple who had dropped yet another prophecy on them. Nearly ten minutes had passed before someone spoke.

"Let's act like this didn't just happen," Rylee said suddenly as she stood up."Let's pretend like Lucy and Kevin never came here and told us of the prophecy. We're going to just be normal teenage girls, free from prophecies, powers, curses or anything related to magic."

Blake nodded her head. "I agree. Let fate take its course. Our hearts will chose our path for us and if it leads to the Sons great, but if not…"she paused and started a new sentence. "Everything will end up how it's supposed to be."

River stood and clapped her hands together. "Brilliantly spoken you two. Now let's forget about this damn prophecy and get ready to have some fun!"

The girl agreed to keep what they had been told a secret from the Sons, thinking it would be the best for everyone if they didn't know. So, with great effort they shoved the information to the back of their minds and headed downstairs to help set up for the New Years Bash.

Together, they walked into the living room to find Caleb and Pogue trying to put up decorations. Trying, but not succeeding. Paige giggled to herself and rolled her eyes to see Caleb standing on a ladder with streamers tangled around his body. "You boys are useless when it come to decorating," she said with a sigh. With a snap of her fingers, she ordered Caleb off the ladder so she could climb up herself. And as she showed the boys how to twist the colorful streamers properly, the other three girls made their way to the kitchen.

Two hours later and the decorations, snacks and music were all ready to go. The group sat in the living room among the furniture that had been push up against the walls to make a mock dance floor in the middle of the room. Blake grinned in satisfaction at their handy work. _This is going to be the best New Years party ever_. "Alright," she said as she pushed herself off her boyfriends lap. "The party starts in one hour so I'm going to start getting ready."

Rylee, Paige and River followed closely behind, all chattering excitedly as they left the room, leaving the four boys to sit by themselves.

Tyler's head fell back and groaned. "Girls really need that long to get ready?" he asked incredulously, unable to understand the mind of girls.

"Ty," Blake called, clearly having overheard the youngest Son of Ipswich. "It's gonna be the start of the New Year…and my girls and I want to welcome it looking hott."

* * *

By the time 11:30 p.m. rolled around the party was in full swing. It seemed as if everyone from Spenser showed up and brought everyone they know as well. Hundreds of cars scattered the front lawn of Paige's house, all parked in neat rows. Inside, nearly all the furniture in the house had been shoved to the walls, all the valuables locked safely in one of the upstairs rooms just incase the party got too crazy. As a matter of fact, all the upstairs rooms were locked, just incase anyone decided to take their own little party to somewhere more private.

In the hallway leading to the living room, Paige squeezed her way through the growing crowd, holding a plastic red cup up in the air as to not spill it's contents if accidently knocked. A guy, no older that Paige herself gave her a flirty wink as she made her way by.

"Great party!" he hollered. She had never seen him before in her life but she gave him a thumbs up and a polite smile in return. She had successfully arrived at her destination when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. For a brief moment, Paige had thought the stranger had followed her. But as she glanced down and recognized the fingerless gloves, she knew exactly whose arms were around her.

"Did I tell you how sexy you look tonight?" Reid whispered huskily in her ear. She grinned and stepped out of his grasp only to face him. She held out her arms to the side as her boyfriend eyes raked her body up and down. Her tight dark skinny jeans complemented her legs as did her knee high black boots. The white shirt she wore hung off one shoulder showing off her fading California bronzed skin.

Paige flipped her golden curled hair and placed her hands on his chest. "About every five minutes since the party started," she said, grinning as his lips fell to hers. "But feel free to keep it up."

Across the room River stood with Caleb, chatting with a group of juniors they knew from Spenser's. Her dark hair was up, showing off her high cheekbones. The cream colored dress and dark brown leggings complimented her olive tanned skin and dark brown eyes. The heels she wore gave her a little more height than usual, making her nearly the same height as Rylee was on a regular day.

Rylee, who was dancing circles around her boyfriend, wore a purple halter dress that swayed with ever move she made. Her blue eyes sparkled and her short light brown hair bounced with every turn of her head. Next to her, Blake shook her hips as she danced with Pogue. Unlike Rylee, Blake chose a pair of light faded jeans that hugged her curves and black ballet flats. Her black shirt was low cute but left just enough to the imagination. Her hair was pulled up and curly.

As the night carried on, the party never seemed to die down. And by the time it neared midnight the house seemed to be packed to the seams. It was now one minute until the New Year and the music had stopped. An excited anticipation settled among the crowd and the countdown began.

Blake turned eagerly to Pogue who already had his eyes on her. "What?" she asked as he continued to stare.

Pogue leaned in closer so he could be heard over the shouts and screams preparing to welcome the New Year. "I love you, Blake Thomas. From the first moment I saw you I fell in love with you." His eyes were wide and sincere as he pulled her to him. She could heart his heart patter wildly underneath his gray shirt.

Normally Blake would have laughed. But looking at him now, the lines that should sounded cheesy and corny, made her heart skip a beat. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she stared into his passion filled eyes.

"I love you, too." Her lips met his with ten seconds left until the New Year. When she pulled away something tugged at her, deep inside as if fighting to get out. It found it's way to her throat as her gaze met his. Less than half a day had passed since the finding of the new prophecy and the decision to keep what they knew a secret. But now it hung just on her tip of her tongue, sliding its way forward from her mouth. "I'm yours, Pogue Parry," she said, feeling how right the words were as she said them. Something warmed within her. "Forever and always."

"Always," Pogue replied. And just as the clock struck midnight, their lips met. An outbreak of shouts and cheers sounded around them and everyone who had a significant other shared their first kiss of the New Year.

"New year baby!" Paige yelled as she skipped toward her best friend with Reid in tow. Rylee and Tyler appeared and wished the others a Happy New Years as well. Looking around the room, Blake's gaze fell on River and Caleb who thought better than attempting to try and cut through the mass of the crowd. Instead, Blake cupped a hand over her mouth and shouted, "Happy New Year!"

* * *

She could see them from where she stood. Just the sight of the three girls who had killed her master made her want to jump through the glass and wrap her fingers around either of their throats. A grim smile played on her lips as she imagined the light of their eyes fading until they were lifeless. The sound of loud shouting tore her from her pleasant vision and she tensed for a fight. But the sound hadn't been from an attacker but the silly teenagers as midnight tolled.

Carmen's gaze drifted from one girl to the next and her jaw tightened in loathing. But, she noticed with satisfaction that the eldest Son of Ipswich was not among them.

_He still mourns for his lost love,_ Carmen thought. Her wild green eyes focused on the blonde girl who was happily wrapped in the arms of her boyfriend. "You're next, Blondie."


	21. Chapter 21

Ch. 21

The winter holidays were over, meaning that Spenser Academy was to start its new semester. Most students were dreading the long classes and boring lectures from their professors who would drown on and on about a subject no one really cared about. But to the senior class, the new semester meant that graduation was right around the corner.

"Only a few more months left until we graduate!" Rylee bounced out of her last class of the day, hand in hand with Tyler. Pogue and Reid watched their friend's girlfriend with amused expressions.

"How the hell do you have so much energy all the time?" Reid asked, leaning over to ruffle her short brown hair with his fingerless gloved hand. Rylee smacked it away playfully and stuck out her tongue as the four continued walking.

Halfway down the hallway they ran into Blake and Caleb who had just stepped out of their English class. Both took notice of the hyper young girl. Caleb looked at Tyler who was now trying to keep Rylee in one spot. "What did you give her?"

Tyler shrugged as he wrapped his arms around Rylee's small waist, finally managing to hold her still long enough to kiss her lips. As soon as their lips met she froze, seeming caught off guard from the random kiss.

Caleb averted his eyes from the couple while Reid and Blake grinned madly. "Damn, baby boy. Chill." Pogue clapped Tyler on the shoulder causing the kiss to end.

Rylee blushed as she looked into the blue eyes of her boyfriend, who now had a sly smile on his lips. "Relax." He told her with a soft laugh. "You ready to go?"

"Wait, where you two headed?" Blake asked curiously as Pogue wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Out to eat, nosey." Tyler teased. "We'll see you guys later."

* * *

Three hours later, Rylee curled onto Tyler's bed and rubbed her stomach feeling as if she could burst. "That was yummy." She giggled as Tyler laid down next to her, pulling her into his embrace.

"It was pretty delicious if I say so myself," He said, patting his stomach and gave a sigh of content as he buried his face in the crook of Rylee's neck. His hand ran down her arm with a light touch but stopped at her wrist. His fingers played with the bracelet he had given her for the 18th birthday. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you wear this everyday."

Rylee smiled widely as she turned her hand and laced her fingers with his. "I have to wear it every day…I love it," she spoke softly, glancing down at his lips and placed a chaste kiss upon them.

Tyler stared at her, his expression unreadable. Rylee stared right back though a smile was set on her lips. "What?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Ryl's." He glanced down at their linked hands then looked back into her blue eyes. A grin now adorned his handsome face. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

Rylee's breath caught in her chest, it felt like a thousand butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. She stuttered, trying to find the right words to say. She had to admit, he had caught her off guard.

Thankfully Tyler wasn't offended, he just smiled and brought his free hand to cup her face. "You don't need to say anything right now. I'm just saying how I feel. I'm happy just being with you." He kissed her forehead and laid down on his back, pulling Rylee down with him.

Rylee took a deep breath. "You caught me off guard," she spoke with a strong and confident voice. "I do love you, Tyler and.. I think…no, I know that I am falling in love with you, too."

Tyler's eyes lit up as their gazes met and he kissed her lips. "We're always the last for everything, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we were technically the last to start dating, the last to get… 'together'," He used his finger to do air quotation marks, "and the last to say I love you." Tyler chuckled a throaty laugh.

"Ha. Well like River once said to me 'someone has to be the last one of the group'." Rylee rolled her eyes as she mocked her friend's voice.

Tyler jumped a little just then and reached for his pocket. "Text from Caleb," he informed. "He said he and River are going to Nicky's."

Rylee rolled overtop of Tyler and fell to the ground where she sprang up to her feet. "What are we still doing here then? Let's go to Nicky's!"

* * *

Blake walked into Paige's room to find the blonde in sweatpants and a black tank top. Her hair was up in a perfect ponytail but her make-up was only half done. Blake frowned. "You're not ready."

"Hi to you, too," Paige said with a laugh as she walked into the attached bathroom. Leaning forward closer to the mirror, she started to finish putting on her eye make-up. "No, I'm not but it'll just take a few minutes." She glanced back into her room to where her clock to see that she only had a few minutes until they had to leave to make it to Nicky's by 8 o'clock. At that moment, Blake leaned against the doorway and started to tap her foot impatiently on the carpeted floor.

Paige raised an eyebrow at her dark haired friend. "Chill, I'm almost done. Since when did you become so impatient?"

"Since my stomach started eating self. I'm staving," Blake snapped. As if on cue Blake's stomach growled loudly. "See!"

Paige laughed but passed it off as a cough. Finished with her make-up she tossed the tube of mascara onto the counter. "Go grab something to snack on real quick. I just have to change so I'll meet you down there."

Blake pushed herself off the door frame. "Okay fine, but hurry up!" she yelled as she shut the bedroom door behind her.

"Alright, alright." Paige spoke to herself as she quickly pulled off her sweats and slipped into her jeans. She had just put on her orange top when she heard the door handle of her bedroom jiggle.

"Blake, I'm coming, geez. You don't have to-" Paige walked out of her bathroom in a hurry but stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart leapt into race as the green-eyed, red head closed and locked the door behind her.

Instantly, Paige found the connection she shared with Blake. _Get out of the house,_ she ordered.

"This will be so much easier for you if you just cooperate," Carmen sneered as she stepped closer to the blonde, a small dagger resting against her palm.

Blake's voice popped into Paige's head. _Why? _

_It's Carmen, she's here. _Paige glanced down at the dagger. _And she's here to kill me. _

_Get the hell out of there! _Blake shouted in her head, urgency and worry laced thickly in her voice.

_No. This may be the only chance to stop her! _She argued her point strongly. _Get the other's here now and fast! I'll try to hold her off as long as I can. _

Carmen smiled wickedly thinking that Paige's cooperation was due to anything but stalling. "There's a good girl."

On the dresser, Paige's cell phone went unnoticed as it vibrated quietly on the wood surface.

* * *

"I'm gonna call her again," Reid said, reaching for his phone that sat out on the table in front of him.

"You just called her!" River laughed and grabbed his phone, holding it away from him. "That's just gonna annoy her, trust me."

Reid scowled and glanced at the door. "But she didn't answer! And she should have been here by now."

"Dude. Is Paige ever on time? Nope," Pogue said, answering his own question. "I'm sure Blake is dragging her out the door as we speak."

Just as River opened her mouth to agree, a panicked voice shouted in her head, nearly causing her to choke on her drink.

_Carmen's here!_ Blake was saying._ She has Paige! Get here now! _

With terror tearing through her body, River met Rylee's gaze from across the bar at the pool tables. She could see the horror she felt on her friend's face.

Noticing the sudden change of the girls, Caleb sat up quickly. "River, what's wrong?" he asked, though in a whisper. Within a second, Rylee was at the table. She grabbed her car keys as River sprung to her feet. The two darted out the of the bar without even a second glance at the guys, though they were quickly followed.

"Hey!" Pogue shouted, running to keep up. Rylee stopped short, pulling River to a stop with her. "What's going on?"

"Paige," Rylee answered, her voice was shaky with anger. "Carmen has Paige at the house. Blake's there, too."

Instantly, Reid's eyes flashed black as he grabbed Rylee's wrist and the two materialized from the quiet parking lot of Nicky's. Looking up at the large two story house with the dark clouds of the night looming above, Reid's heart hammered in his chest. Not a moment later Caleb, Pogue, River and Tyler were by their side though hidden in the shadows of the moonless night.

Footsteps sounded to their left and the spun around, ready for a fight. To their relief it was Blake running at them. "Thank God," she said as she rolled up the sleeves of shirt. Though it was in the middle of Winter, she didn't feel the cold. The adrenaline that pumped through her veins felt as hot as if a fire danced upon her body. Her gaze went to a single window on the second floor, the only where light shown from.

"A fight hasn't broken out," she continued. "At least, not yet. But I used the Connection and Paige won't answer me."

"Why God's name are we still standing here?" Tyler said, eyes intense as he looked around the group. "There's one of her and eight of us."

River turned to Tyler, her gaze just as intense but something else was behind them. "We can't just burst in there Tyler, we need a plan. The last time we went without some sort of a plan I got stabbed."

A loud crash echoed into the dark silence that now swallowed the seven teens. A blood curdling scream quickly followed. Reid bolted forward but was caught by the back of his shirt by a pair of strong hands. "Wait!" Caleb hissed in his ear quietly, trying to restrain his friend.

Struggling frantically to get free, Reid wheeled around and shoved Caleb away. "Fuck that! Did you hear her scream? She could be hurt!"

Reid spun back around but found his path blocked by Blake. Before he could tell her to move she raised her hand and brought it across Reid's left cheek. "If you just settle down for a minute you can think clearly! Paige wouldn't want us to just barge in and lose the element of surprise, she'd want us to use it!"

Reid stared at her, caught of guard with her sudden hostility. He fought the urge to rub his now red cheek. He would never admit it out loud, but it hurt like hell. With extreme restraint Reid took a deep breath and asked, "What's the plan?"

"The plan is we go in there and give that stupid bitch everything we have, no holding back." River voice was close to a growl and her once brown eyes glowed a fierce lime green. Without another word she made for the door with Blake, Rylee and Reid beside her.

The doorknob was stingingly cold under her hand, and as the door clicked open, River held up a hand to silence the others. Not that they needed telling because as they entered the house no sound was made. Reid went to push passed her but Blake's firm grip stopped him.

"We are doing this by ourselves," she said. Her voice was unyielding and her eyes held determination that he was sure the other girls felt as well.

"No, no way," Caleb spoke sternly, feeling his anger rising.

"We know what to expect now," Rylee said as she placed a hand on the eldest Sons arm. "The longer we stand here and argue the longer Paige is up there defending herself."

Tyler's jaw set in defiance. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides as Caleb shook his head. "We are going with you."

"No, you're not," River said firmly. Her eyes flashed dangerously in her boyfriend's direction. "If I have to stand here and make sure you don't follow us, I will. Caleb, I love you but I will kick your ass if I have to."

Before Caleb could respond another loud scream flooded down the stairs making the hair on their necks stand on end.

"Jesus, let them go!" Reid practically cried. He gripped a handful of blonde hair and tugged, as if the sound of his girlfriend's screams caused him physical pain. "Go!" he nearly shouted at the girls. "We will be right here if they need any help."

Rylee gave him a small smile then raced up the stairs with stealthy feet after River and Blake who were already at the top. As the girls disappeared down the hall, the four Sons watched in silence.

* * *

Blood streamed down her jaw line and dripped down to her neck as she slowly pushed herself up from the ground. "I underestimated you, Blondie." Carmen said, holding her ribcage tenderly with the hand that still grasped the dagger. The tip of it was covered in blood.

Paige winced as a sharp pain shot through her body. She bit her lip to stop from screaming as she reached down to her side and felt something warm and sticky. Looking down she saw red on her fingertips and a large deep gash under her ripped shirt. Blood seemed to pour from the wound as she tried to lift herself off the floor.

"Did I get you?" Carmen taunted menacingly as she stepped closer to the fallen girl. "This could have been over with if only you were a good little girl."

_Hang on, Paige, _Blake's voice reassured her. A small smile came across her lips as she fought the pain to stand up and face her enemy. She gestured to a deep cut on the arm of the red head. "Look's like I got you, too."

"Only a scratch compared to yours," Carmen answered, stepping over broken glass from the dresser mirror. She stopped right in front of the locked door. The knife glittered in the light as Carmen raised and prepared to throw it. But before she could an explosion sent her flying across the room, landing on her side heavily. Carmen jumped to her feet and wheeled around to the broken doorway. A look of complete fury flickered across her face.

"No. No, I killed you!" she shouted furiously, her green eyes on River. "Why won't you die?"

River stood in the door frame with Rylee and Blake on either side of her. She glared daggers as she spoke to Carmen, her voice deadly. "You will never get rid of me," she said, her eyes glowing a brighter green as she crouched to the ground. Almost as if on fast forward, River sprung towards her enemy and in midair, she shifted. Her clothes tore from her body and as she came down upon the redhead she had fully shifted. The knife flew from her hands and landed on the floor, spinning.

Her gray fur rippled as a snarl ripped from her throat. Fear filled Carmen's eyes as River barred her teeth dangerously close to her neck. Her eyes fell on Paige who had fallen to her knees, looking pale and weak.

Carmen took one last breath knowing it was her last, knowing she could not escape this. Death was inevitable. With one last ferocious growl as the wolf's jaws locked around her neck, silencing her forever.

No longer able to hold herself up, Paige fell to the floor. Rylee and Blake raced to their pale friend as four sets of footsteps were heard racing down the hallway. They stared around at the sight before them: the destroyed room, looking as if a thousand tornados had passed through it; broken furniture and shattered glass lay scattered on the carpet; River, with a bloody muzzle standing overtop of a lifeless body. And lastly, Blake and Rylee hovering over a bleeding and weak Paige.

"Shit," Pogue breathed, running a hand through his long hair. Reid shoved him roughly aside and pulled Paige gently into his arms.

"Baby?" he spoke softly. "Can you hear me?"

"I'm wounded, not dead," she said, though with a weak voice. She took a breath but pain flashed across her face and a cry escaped her lips. Blood seeped between her fingers of the hand that held the gash in her side.

"She needs to get to the hospital," Caleb said, worry etched deeply in his features. "She looks like she's lost a lot of blood."

Paige made a face and wrinkled her nose in protest. "Will you stop babying me? I'll survive." She tried to force herself up but the attempt caused a severe pain in her side and her head spun. She fell back into Reid's arms her face even more pale than before. "Ow, okay, I need a hospital."

Pogue looked down at the body of the dead girl, not feeling one ounce of pity or sorrow. He glanced up at met Caleb's gaze from across the room. "We'll stay behind and clean this mess up," he said motioning to the room around him. "Get her to the hospital."

* * *

The next few days would have passed just like any other day but instead of returning to school, Paige and the others had lounged Paige's house, mostly in her room. The events of the past month had finally caught up with them and a couple days of relaxing seemed to be just what they needed. Tyler's parents had even gone to the length's of calling the Provost of Spenser Academy the morning after the attack, claiming that a family emergency would cause all of them to miss a few days.

Now, at the Simms' Manor, Paige curled up onto couch next to Reid who pulled her close. Madison Simms had invited all the parents over for dinner that evening, and while Pogue and his father, Penn manned the grill, the others took to the living room.

Madison, who was setting the table in the next room paused what she was doing to ask Paige how she was feeling.

Paige's hand went to her side out of habit. There were moments that it felt as if she were being stabbed all over again but she never mentioned it to anyone. She had been surprised when woke of the morning after the attack to find that her wound had completely healed. But now that a few days had passed, her extra healing had kicked in, though she still had to keep a bandage over it incase the stitches accidently tore. "I feel much better, thank you," she replied. "I think I'll be okay to go to class tomorrow."

Reid's blonde hair fell into his eyes as dropped his head onto Paige's shoulder and groaned in protest. "Tomorrow's Friday, babe! Why don't we just wait till Monday to go back?"

Reid's mom, Demi shook her head in disapproval but it was hard to hide the amusement on her face. "You're so much like your father was," she said with a little laugh.

"I don't know," Terrance said, grinning. "His father was so much more rebellious."

Rylee, who had been talking quietly with Tyler, let out a loud bark of laughter at that. "That's very hard to believe."

Reid smirked proudly just as Evelyn Danvers walked into the room.

"Lunch is ready!" she announced cheerily. To Caleb's relief, ever since Kassandra and Paige had come back to Ipswich with Blake, Rylee and River, his mother almost seemed like a new person. She had quit drinking and smoking, and having River and the other girls around all the time helped. Evelyn absolutely adored River and was happy to see that she made her son happy.

Reid helped Paige stand then walked with her hand in hand to one of the two tables that was set up. He pulled out the chair for her then took a seat next to her. Tyler sat down across from Paige and next to Rylee who was talking with Blake about how much they missed California weather. At the head of the table, Pogue placed his hand on top of Blake's and gave it a squeeze as he talked to Paige. Caleb held out the chair across from Reid for River and took his spot at the other side of the head of the table.

The four women took their seats at the second table, allowing the two men to take to head of the table. The tables were full of the most delicious smelling foods. It had to be amazing, after all Kassandra and Madison had cooked it. Though the other girls helped here and there.

"This smells so good," Tyler smiled at this mom from the other table. She winked at her son then started passing around the dishes.

An hour later the plates and dishes had practically been licked clean. Terrance placed a hand on his wife's and looked her in the eye. "That was one of the best meals I have ever had."

A few mumbles of agreement raced around the room as Terrance stood. "Alright boys, the women cooked and now we clean."

A groan came from Pogue and Reid but they obeyed none the less and started clearing the table while the men Madison, Demi, Evelyn, Kassandra and the girls went to the living room to relax.

"So girls have you thought of where you'd like to go to college?" Evelyn asked, looking around at each girl as they took a seat.

River looked to her three friends. "Well I was set on UCLA but I really like it on the East Coast. I've heard Boston University is a great school."

"I was thinking about going to an art school." Rylee said with pink cheeks.

Madison clapped her hands together in approval. "You would do fantastic at an art school! See that?" She pointed to a drawing that hung on her wall. It was a very beautifully drawn, detailed picture of a lake and sunset. "Rylee gave me that picture for Christmas."

Evelyn looked surprised. "You drew that?" Rylee nodded.

"I'm impressed," Demi said thoughtfully then turned to Paige and Blake. "What about you two? Any idea where you would like to go?"

Blake grinned. "Actually my sights have always been set on Harvard. Caleb told me that his dad was class of '81."

"He was." Evelyn smiled, her eyes staring off in the distance for a second. Once back in focus, she looked to Paige. "And you?"

Paige glanced at her mother then shrugged her shoulders. "Actually I have no idea what I'd like to do or where I'd like to go."

"Well don't fret over it. You still have some time," Demi said, her blue eyes warm. "Reid still has no idea where he wants to go either. You two are a match made in Heaven."

"They love you girls," Kassandra said, seeming to be on the same thought path as her best friend. "I've never seemed them behave so well."

"If you ask me, I'd say you guys will get married," Madison added with a sly smile. "Just don't give us any grandchildren too soon."

The four girls laughed with them but couldn't help but think about the prophecy they longed to forget.


	22. Chapter 22

Ch. 22

"It's nice to see you back in class, Ms. Elliot," said the biology teacher when Paige walked into class the following Monday. "I hope all is well now?"

Paige wrapped her arms around the books in her hands and gave him a smile. "Everything is fine now, Professor King. Thank you."

He smiled kindly and motioned for her to take her seat. Even though it was the start of a new semester, the classes had stayed the same. At the beginning of the school year everyone chose the classes they would like or were required to take for the whole year.

The bell rang signaling the start of class and Professor King turned to the board where he started writing. Paige felt anxiety fill her stomach. She had no idea what he was talking about and as she looked around the classrooms it only confirmed that she was the only one who had nod idea what was going on. _Great_, she thought, leaning back moodily in her seat.

At the end of the class Paige gathered her stuff, feeling as if her head was going to explode from all the new information she had learned that day. She didn't realize that missing school for a few days would put her this far behind. In California she could have missed 3 weeks of school and would have still known what was going on in class.

Paige heaved a sigh and stood up when she found her path blocked. "Hey, Paige," said a deep familiar voice. Her eyes lifted a few inches up and looked into a handsome face.

"Hey," she said with a small smile, running a hand through her blonde hair. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he replied, adjusting the books he held. "I noticed you haven't been in class the last few days. Were you sick?"

She shook her head. "No, actually there was a family emergency."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," he said sounding genuinely apologetic. He cleared his throat. "Well, I have the notes and if you need any help with anything don't hesitate to ask."

"Well, now that you mention it," Paige said, smiling up at Corey as they walked out of the class room together. "It was like Professor King was speaking a foreign language. You think you could translate?"

Corey grinned as he nodded. "Yeah, of course. Just give me a call whenever you want." With that he departed and Paige made he way to the lunch room where she found Blake with her head down on the table. She looked curiously at Pogue who only shrugged and continued to eat his meal.

"Bad day?" Paige asked as she took the seat next to her.

With a loud whine that caused some students who were walking by to stare, Blake lifted her head. "Awful. If I was still in California I would never have this much homework for only missing a few days!"

"Well babe," Pogue started, reaching over to rub the back of her neck. "You're not in California anymore, you're in Massachusetts."

Just then Rylee, followed closely by River plopped down into a seat. "We just had to miss school, didn't we?" She spoke to no one in particular and she slammed her tray down sending mashed potatoes across the table.

Paige narrowed her eyes at her whining friends. "No one said you had to stay home with me. I'm the one who got stabbed, you all didn't need to miss any classes so stop the damn crying because I don't want to hear it."

"Oh, boo-hoo, Paige, I've been stabbed before, too," River snapped, dark eyes glaring. Paige met her stare with a heated glare of her own.

"Shut up both of you!" Blake shouted.

Caleb glanced from each girl then to Pogue and Tyler who both sat with their mouths slightly ajar. "What's wrong with you girls?"

"I have homework the size of a mountain!" Blake yelled, causing a group of freshman girls to stare at her. "What are you looking at?" she shouted at them and glared as they scattered away.

Pogue tried to hide his laughter as he leaned in closer to his girlfriend. "Blake, I can help you with it. And you too, if you need it Ryl's."

Rylee beamed, knowing that Tyler had more work than any of them with having mostly advanced classes. "Pogue, I could kiss you!" she said.

Tyler raised his eyebrow as he took a bit of his cheese pizza. "You better not."

"I'm not really going to," Rylee said with a small laugh. The mood seemed to lighten after that. As if just at the moment noticing the absence of her boyfriend, Paige's eyes brows pulled together.

"Where's Reid?"

"Detention," Pogue answered, amusement clear in his eyes.

* * *

Later that afternoon in the dorms, Paige looked up to see River gathering her books together. A large energy drink in one hand and laptop in the other.

"Where you going?" Paige asked, stifling a yawn.

River let out a huff of air. "To the library to work on some homework with Caleb. You wanna come?" She shrugged on her winter jacket, knowing she had to walk to the building across campus. River hated the cold but she hated staying in one place doing homework for too long more. It was always a weird quirk of hers. Of course, Caleb found it endearing.

Paige shook her head. "I'm pretty much caught up with everything except for Biology." She gestured to the books at the foot of her bed untouched.

River shuddered. "Well I can't help you in that area. I'm awful with Biology." She made a face then blew her friend a kiss and leaving. The door clicked shut behind her.

Paige stared at the books, loathing the hard covered books as if they were to bit her at any moment. Sighing, she punched a number into her cell phone and held it to her ar. Three rings later and a male voice answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Paige." She could hear the TV in the background. "I was wondering if you could help me with bio tonight? I haven't opened the book since class and I'd really like to get it over with."

Corey's laugh reached her over the phone and Paige crossed her fingers, hoping he'd agree to help her. "Yeah," he replied. "I'm on my way. See you in a few."

Paige let out a sigh of relief as she hung up the phone. She caught her reflection in the mirror that hung over her desk; she still wore her school uniform. She had just changed into a pair of black sweat pants and a white tank top when a knock on the door sounded.

"Come in," she called as she settled back onto her bed, sitting crossed legged. She grinned at Corey as he entered her room. "Thanks for coming," she said as he walked into the room. "This will be the death of me."

Corey gave her a large smile as he looked around at his surroundings. "Where's your roommate?"

"Library with Caleb," she replied as he took his seat next to her on the bed.

"Where's Reid at? I thought he'd always want to keep an eyes on you." Paige gave him a curious look as he picked up her biology notes but he didn't seem to notice.

"He has a night swim practice," Paige said, opening the book. "Championships are in a few days so coach is cracking the whip." She pulled her book onto her lap and stared down at the pages. The words in front of her looked so foreign to her that she wanted to launch the book across the room.

"Alright," she sighed. "Where do were start?"

"Let's start from the beginning…"

Nearly two hours later, Paige dropped the book onto her bed and yawned loudly. Corey rubbed his eyes and set her notes neatly back into her folder.

"Do you understand now?" he asked, blue eyes locked on her. He had been doing that a lot that night, Paige noticed. She would looked up from going over a definition in the book and he'd be staring at her, almost unblinkingly. The bed wasn't providing much room personal space so he sat quite close to her, and the way his was leaning left his face inches from hers.

Wanting to put some distance between them, Paige stood up, saying she needed to stretch her legs out. She lifted her arms over her head and felt her shirt lift inches above the waistband of her pants.

"What's that?" His gaze was on her torso and before she even looked down she knew what he had seen. The bandage was peeking out from beneath the hem of her shirt and she quickly covered it back up.

"Oh um, I..I fell on a glass table over break and had to get stitches," she lied. Of course she could never tell him what had really happened, that she had gotten stabbed by a revenge seeking bitch. It might have brought up little suspicion and a lot more question that Paige just couldn't answer.

Corey shook his head as he lifted himself off the bed. His eyes held something, disbelief that she had feared and behind that what seemed to anger. His voice was low when he spoke but it sounded deafeningly loud in Paige's ears. "Did Reid do this to you?"

"What?" she breathed. Out of all the things he could have said, he said that?

"Answer the question, Paige," he said fiercely. "Did Reid hurt you?"

"Of course not!" She half yelled. "Reid would never hurt me. Why would you even think that?" _How dare you even accuse Reid of such a thing! _She wanted to say but stopped herself as his behavior started to change. His eyes softened and his rigid stance melted as if suddenly ashamed of his accusations.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But he's not good for you."

Paige stared at him in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Corey stepped closer to her, his confidence returning as his gaze met hers. He was a foot away from her now and Paige found herself moving away from him. "He's not good enough for you. You need someone who would worship you and the ground you walk on."

"You have no clue about my relationship with Reid," she said, feeling the wall against her back.

"I know you shouldn't be with him." He lifted a hand to her face and placed it at the side of her neck, caressing her skin with his thumb. He leaned in quickly and captured her lips. Paige was too surprised to respond but as his arms went around her hips, grazing her skin. She pulled away but he only followed, his lips moving aggressively on her.

She put her hands on his chest and shoved him away, breathing heavily with irritation. "Corey, you shouldn't have done that."

Corey grabbed her hands and held them in his forcefully. "Paige," he pleaded with her, blue eyes searching her face. "I want you."

"Corey," she said firmly, jerking her hands out of his tight grip. "I'm with Reid. I'm in love with him."

Anger flashed across his face as his jaw tightened. "He doesn't deserve you!" he shouted, kicking the desk next to him. Paige jumped and let out a small scream as her belongings were sent to the ground.

"You need to leave," Paige tried to keep her voice even. Underneath the fury she suddenly felt bubbled a bit of fear. "Now." She pushed past him roughly and opened the door. Corey's glare seemed to burned through her, his gaze was cold and angry as he walked past her and out of the room without another word.

Paige slammed the door shut, locking it behind her. Her breathing was shallow and uneven from the anger that coursed through her body. The little fear she had was because of how aggressive Corey had become.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, she ran a hand over her face laid her head against the wood door with her eyes shut tightly. She would not tell anyone about this, especially Reid.

* * *

The following few days went by almost as normal as any other day had. The only that that was different was that she had not spoken to Corey who was usually her biology lab partner. Thankfully no labs had been given. She wouldn't even spare his a glance as he walked into class.

It was Thursday now and the swim Championship had just gone underway. It hand ended badly as their rival school had just taken the title.

"How upset do you think they're gonna be?" Rylee asked with a frown as she, Paige, River and Blake walked against the crowd to the second exit.

"I don't even want to think about it." Blake grimaced as she thought of Caleb and Reid's face, both looking murderous as Hastings cheered in celebration. "They just lost the Championship swim meet, so my guess is they won't be pleased."

The hallway was empty for everyone else had taken the main entrance. Here they would wait for the guys. Only minutes passed before Caleb appeared. He huffed out a sigh and walked straight to River who had her arms already open. When he was within her reach she curled her arms around him and stood on her tip toes to kiss his lips. She knew better than to mention anything about the meet until he brought it up.

Pogue followed moments behind. Though he looked calm and carefree Blake could tell he was trying his hardest not to break down. He gave a forced tight lips smile and made his way to his girlfriend. "I'm sorry baby." Blake said, rubbing his back in comfort.

"Can't win them all," he said shortly. Tyler had come quietly out of the locker room at that moment and sulked over to Rylee and buried his head in her hair.

"Coach is talking to Reid," Caleb informed Paige. "He tried to pick a fight with one of Hastings swimmers. So he's probably gonna be a while."

Paige looked to the brown door that she knew her boyfriend was behind getting an ear full. "He'll be in a great mood," she muttered sarcastically as she made herself comfortable on a bench in the hall. "You guys go ahead, we'll meet you…where?"

"My apartment," Pogue said, then added with a frustrated voice. "I'm thinking a drink or two is needed…or five."

"See you later," Paige called as the others made their way to the parking lot. She listened to their voices slowly fade before disappearing completely, leaving her alone in the now quiet hall.

After ten minutes had passed, Paige started to get impatient. She drummed her fingers against her lap then heard footsteps racing down the hallway. _Someone's in a hurry, _she thought as she looked up. Her guard immediately went up as Corey took a hesitant step toward her.

"What do you want?" Paige snapped, her eyes screaming anger and annoyance while her heart silently yelled for Reid. Her attitude and snappiness masked the fear that she now felt. She felt silly for being fearful but it's not like she could have used her powers around him.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I acted the other night," he said in one quick breath. Paige laughed without humor, even more annoyed than she was before.

"Yeah, I've heard that before. From your buddy Aaron actually," she said as she stood up and grabbed her purse from the bench. "Reid was right… you're more like him than I thought. So you can shove your apology up your ass."

She turned on her heel intending to walk away but was stopped by a strong hand that felt like an iron grip around her forearm. Corey spun her around to face him. "Don't walk away from me!" he said through a clenched jaw, eyes angry. "I'm trying to apologize."

Paige tried to jerk her arm out of his grasp but that only made the iron grasp tighten. "Let go of me!" she growled at him, glaring.

"Get your hands off of her," a low threatening voice came from behind them making both of their heads snap up. Reid stood in the middle of the doorway with fierce blue eyes and clenched fists. "I said get your hands off of her. Now."

Corey let go and watched Paige race to Reid where she placed her palms on his chest to stop his advancing steps on the other boy. "Let's go," Paige said under her breath. His eyes were not on her but on the boy that seconds ago had her in his grasp. "Please."

"If you ever go near her again…," Reid let the threat hang and allowed Paige to push him down the hallway toward the exit doors.

Once they were a safe distance Paige turned to Corey, her eyes cold and serious. "Don't ever try to talk to me again," she said. His face fell as he watched the couple walk out of the school and to the parking lot.

Outside, it was cold and wet. Paige glanced at her boyfriend out of the corner of her eye to see that his jaw was set and his gaze was straight ahead. "Your lucky I just didn't beat his face in just now for touching you like that." His voice shook in anger.

"I know," was all she said, hoping he would leave it at that. But as he turned to face her, she knew he wasn't. "You want to tell me what that was about." It was not a question.

"Okay," she said, sighing in defeat. "But you have to promise not to freak out, okay?"

* * *

"This blows," Tyler huffed, spinning an empty beer bottle around on the coffee table. The other two boys nodded in agreement, beers in their hands as well. For the last half an hour all that was said was 'this sucks', 'I need another beer' or in Tyler's case 'this blows'.

River tried to be sympathetic and let them drown in sorrow for just one night but now it was just getting ridiculous.

Tyler opened his mouth again."This-"

"If you say one more thing about losing the meet I will rip your head off and throw it out the window," River snapped at in annoyance. Caleb's mouth fell open as he stared at her. She stared back, waiting for his anger to come. Instead a slow smile crept on his face as he burst out laughing.

Pogue and Tyler joined in as well as the girls. "I didn't realize we were being such downers," Pogue said before taking a sip of his beer and placing his hand on Blake's leg.

"Yeah, well you were," Blake replied with a light tone. Just then the door opened and Paige stepped through the door followed by a silent Reid.

"Everything okay?" Tyler asked hesitantly looking from Reid to Paige, clearly noticing the tension between the pair. Reid's gaze found Paige's and let out a heavy frustrated sigh.

"You want to tell them or should I?" he asked, though either way his friends were going to find out what Corey had done and said.

Paige scowled at her blonde boyfriend. "There's nothing to tell," she said in a hurried voice. Reid's eyes grew wide and his lungs filled with air that would soon, too soon, be used to shout at Paige. She held her breath waiting for the explosion.

"Nothing to tell?" he yelled in anger jumping to his feet. "Nothing to tell! He thinks I physically abused you, Paige! He kissed you! He hurt you!" Paige rubbed her forearm where a bruise of fingerprints had already formed.

"What the hell is going on?" Pogue stood up and stood protectively in front of Paige, blocking her from the range of fire.

Reid threw himself down next to Blake where Pogue sat seconds ago and crossed his arms.

"Corey saw my bandage and thought Reid had hurt me," Paige explained. She kept her eyes on Reid who gazed at the floor with an angry stare. Pushing around Pogue, she knelt down in front of her boyfriend who avoided looking at her.

After a few seconds of dodging Paige grabbed his face forcefully and caught his gaze. "I'm sorry," she said, not caring that everyone around them was silent and staring.

Reid jerked his head out of her hands but still held her gaze. "He thinks I hurt you," he said in a hushed voice. "I would never hurt you."

"I know." Paige placed her hand to his cheek. "I know."

The argument seemed to settle within those seconds. Pogue still stood, confused as the others sat staring at the couple as if waiting for the fight to start up again.

Rylee bit her lips. "Is anyone going to tell us what's going on?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Can we just forget that it ever happened?" Paige said ignoring Rylee and lifted her sleeve revealing her forearm. "See? No harm done, it'll be gone by tomorrow. I'm a fast healer remember? Well, minus my stab wound," she teased, looking to River who had a stab wound herself, though it was fully healed now. "But that will be healed in no time."

Reid gave a small smile and leaned up to kiss her lips. "Okay, all is forgotten. But if he touches you again I will kick his ass." His eyes left his girlfriend's face and looked around at the other three girls. "Same goes for you girls. If anyone messes with you, we'll take care of them."

"That's sweet, James Bond," River said with a grin. "But I think we can take care of some mere hormonal, powerless boy by ourselves. Remember, I'm a beast."

* * *

Penn Parry walked into the living room with a photo album in his hands. "Found it," he said as he sat down next to Blake on the couch.

"What are you showing her?" Pogue called from the kitchen where he was cleaning up dinner by washing the dishes.

With a knowing smile, Penn held up a finger to Blake. "Your mother's photo album she made of you," he replied then brought his finger to his lips as he listened. A plate was heard crashing to the floor and Pogue was standing in the doorway with pink cheeks and wide eyes. A dish towel in one hand and half a plate in the other.

"You're…" was all he managed to get out. His father nodded his head. Blake looked lost, wondering if she should be worried about what was in this photo album. Penn dismissed his son so he could finish the dishes and Pogue walked back into the kitchen muttering something that sounded like 'embarrassing.'

Blake smiled at her boyfriend's retreating form. "Should I be worried?" she asked Penn, glancing at the book in his hands.

"Maybe a little." He smiled back and opened the book to the first page. The first picture was of a younger Penn and a beautiful dark haired pregnant woman whose stomach seemed to be almost bursting it was so large. "Pogue was a big baby."

"She's beautiful." Blake commented, noticing the way the younger Penn in the picture looked at his wife and it made her heart flutter. Pogue had looked at her that way before.

He smiled warmly. "I remember when I was younger, when we first started dating, people used to make fun of us. Penn and Penny."

Penn seemed lost in thought he turned to the next picture. It was of Penny in the delivery room, her face contorted in pain and concentration as the younger Penn stood by her head wiping the sweaty hair from her face. "Like I said, Pogue was a big baby." Penn repeated with a laugh.

Blake giggled under her breath as Penn flipped over the page. It was of the newborn baby boy being held by his teary eyed mother. "She cursed me up and down while she gave birth to him," Penn said lovingly. "But as soon as she got him in her arms she couldn't stop thanking me."

Throughout the album were pictures of Pogue growing up, many of them had the Sons of Ipswich. One picture that stayed very clear in her mind was of Pogue, Caleb, Tyler, Reid, and Paige. They were about seven years old and still had their baby fat. Tyler had one arm around Paige and the other around Reid, while Pogue and Caleb looked as if they were trying to strangle each other.

"Oh my gosh! Look at them!" Blake laughed out loud when she saw the picture. Pogue, who was done with the dishes and now sat next to her, pouted at his girlfriend.

One of the very last pages was of Penny in the hospital, her last day before she passed. Her smile looked very tired and weak, but she still looked beautiful as ever, Blake thought. Both Penn and Pogue had gone silent when they arrived at this very picture. Blake glanced at Pogue's father and noticed unshed tears in his eyes.

Penn cleared his throat so he could speak. "She always had a smile on her face, no matter how bad things got." He reached behind Blake and placed a hand on his son's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before excusing himself. Pogue turned to next page slowly, his eyes on Blake's face.

Blake had to blink a few times before she realized that the picture was of herself and Pogue. It was during Christmas, and Penn had snapped a picture of them while they were sleeping. In it, Pogue sat with his arms around Blake who had her head resting on his chest.

Pogue grinned as he watched her fingers slide over the picture slowly. A smile spread across her lips when she looked up at him. "My mother would have loved you…almost as much as I do."

Her heart lifted and swelled as his lips came to her in a sweet kiss. She could feel the love he felt for her radiating off of him as he held her. Right then and there, Blake saw their future flash before her eyes. She knew which path she would choose and she would choose Pogue.


	23. Chapter 23

Ch. 23

"Thanks for a wonderful dinner, Penn." Blake hugged Pogue's father and winked at her boyfriend who stood behind him.

"You're very welcome," Penn replied. He shivered as Pogue swung the door open and a frigid breeze rolled in, catching their breaths. "Keep warm tonight. It's a cold night out there."

"I'll blast the heat," Pogue said, pulling Blake to his side.

The couple bid their farewells and walked outside into the winter air. "I've never seen this much snow," Blake said as she climbed into Pogue's black Jeep Grand Cherokee. Pogue hopped into the driver's seat, turned on the heat and pulled the car from the driveway; it's tires crunchy on the fresh snow that had begun to fall earlier that night. "I still never pictured you as a Jeep guy."

"Yeah, well I can't ride my Ducati in the winter now can I?" He smiled and grabbed her hand, lacing his finger with hers. His skin was cold but Blake felt a warmth flood through her at his touch and she smiled at him watching him talk. She loved him, though hadn't realized she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him until only a few hours ago.

Her heart accelerated at the thought of waking up every morning next to him as his wife. "I love you." Blake said, cutting Pogue off mid sentence.

He laughed but his eyes were serious and sincere. "I love you, too."

"I loved the pictures your dad showed me." Blake tried not to laugh as Pogue's face turned pink from embarrassment. "Don't be embarrassed! It was cute."

Pogue rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Yeah, okay," he said as the car came to a stop outside of a large building. A sign to the left read: Spenser Academy Dorms.

"It was and I'm glad I got to see it." She leaned over the console and kissed his lips, lingered for a few seconds then pulled away. "See you tomorrow." She kissed him once more then hopped out of the car and ran into the building.

* * *

"Hey, Blake," Rylee greeted her roommate just as she was climbing under the covers. "How was your night?"

Blake sauntered into the bathroom after grabbing a pair of pajamas. "Amazing," she breathed when she came back out, now dressed for bed. "Rylee, I think…I think I know which path I'm going to choose."

Rylee sat up, locking her blue eyes on her dark haired friend, a large grin on her on her lips. "You chose him." It was not a question but a statement. She knew her best friend too well. "I could have called that one, Blake!"

Blake grinned back and sat down on her bed, preparing to tell her all about her amazing night when a knock sounded on the door.

"You guys want some cookies!" A voice from the other side called. The two girls laughed and Blake bounded off the bed to open it.

River and Paige stood in the doorway.

"You guys are so weird," Rylee said as the two sauntered into the room. Paige sat on Blake's bed as she crawled under the covers. River took a running jump onto Rylee's bed.

"True but you love me." River batted her eyelashes with a cheesy grin.

Blake looked at Paige with a curious expression. "Why didn't you just teleport in here like usual?"

Paige shared a glance with River before speaking. "Well, Tyler was in here earlier and we didn't know if he still was…"

Rylee blushed, knowing full well where her sentence would have gone. "Stop it, you guys!" Rylee nearly shouted in embarrassment. "We just watched a movie you perverts."

"Yeah okay," Paige laughed as she stood up. "We just came to see how your night was, Blake."

Blake smiled. "You guys never want to know how any other of my dates have went. Why this one?"

River shrugged. "Just had a feeling that it went good."

"Well it did!" Blake giggled before going into great detail about her amazing night. Once she was finished she was beaming from ear to ear, which grew when Rylee, Paige and River 'awed' at the same time in perfect harmony.

"Blake and Pogue sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love! Then comes marriage! Then come a baby in the baby carriage!" Rylee sang quietly, bouncing up and down on her bed. By the end of the song Paige and River joined in, all grinning widely.

River stood and walked to Blake, giving her a hug. "I'm happy for you." A single tear fell from the corner of Blake's eye. Rylee jumped off her bed and onto her roommate's bed.

"Those better be happy tears," she said as she wiped to tears away with her thumb.

Blake shook her head. "Sorry, I'm just being silly." She took a deep breath a let it out. "Of course they're happy tears. I have the most amazing friends a girl could ask for."

"And you found your soul mate or equal half or whatever Kevin said," River said with a laugh. "But time for bed! School tomorrow." Grabbing Paige's arm, she pulled the blonde to the door.

Paige planted her feet, stopping herself from being dragged any further. "Uh, River we can teleport now."

"Yeah I know that," River replied as she swung the door opened. "but it's like a thirty second walk."

Paige leaned around her and shut it. "So? That's thirty seconds of good sleep wasted." River waved before Paige's eyes flashed pink and then they were gone.

* * *

It was Monday afternoon, and though Paige loved Reid with all she had, she felt an annoyance towards him as the day had slowly went by. Earlier that morning, Reid told her that he would be walking her to all of her classes from now on.

"Reid, you really don't have to," she had said in protest. But the look she had received in reply had her huffing in surrender.

"I feel like a kid and you're my parent or something," Paige said now as they walked down the hallway toward the one and only class she had with Corey. "I think he took the hint the other day."

Reid shook his head and gritted his teeth. "Paige, don't argue please."

"Please? What happened to my badass Son of Ipswich?" She teased with a smile, turning to face him when they stopped in front of her classroom. His blue eyes were soft but he faked a mean face. "There he is." Paige laughed and kissed him.

When she pulled away his face was serious. "If he talks to you I want to know." His eyes flickered into the classroom behind Paige. She glanced over her shoulder and saw who he was glaring at.

"Sure. But I really don't think he will if he values his life," Paige assured her boyfriend, but he didn't seem convinced. "Get to class or you'll be late."

Reid nodded and turned around, heading down the hallway as Paige walked into her Biology class. Paige groaned to herself as she took her seat next to Corey, not even acknowledging his presence. She took out her notebook and grabbed a pencil and made sure to scoot her chair as far away from him as possible.

Ten minutes into class she saw him shift in his seat from the corner of her eyes.

"Paige, I-" Corey started to say but she held up a hand to him before he could continue.

"I remember very clearly telling you to never talk to me again," Paige whispered, not even bothering to make eye contact. "And that includes phone calls and text."

"But-"

"Stop, I heard it already," she whispered harshly, meeting his eyes with a fierce gaze. "I have a line of people just waiting for you to make the wrong move again so they can kick your ass, so be grateful I'm not allowing that to happen. But come near me or any of my friends and I will be more the willing to give them the O.K."

"Miss Elliot. Is there something you'd wish to share with the rest of us?"

Paige looked up to see Professor King staring at her, his eyes narrowed and arms crossed over his chest in irritation.

"No, sir," Paige said. All eyes were on her but she ignored them.

"Then I suggest you pay attention," he replied before continuing on with his lecture. Corey kept quiet for the rest of class. She didn't know if he feared getting called out by the professor or had taken Paige's threat seriously but she was thankful for his silence.

* * *

After school, the girls meet Caleb and Pogue in Tyler and Reid's dorm room. Rylee curled into a small ball on Tyler's bed trying to warm herself by pulling the skirt of her uniform further down. She gave up with a sigh and tore the cover down and crawled under it, cuddling into Paige who had joined her seconds later.

The guys and River laughed as Blake squeezed herself in between the two to get warm as well.

"It's like a fantasy come true," Reid smirked. "Now all you have to do is start a pillow fight.

"Ew," Rylee and Blake said together while Paige jumped out of the bed and leapt at him. He countered her attack and grabbed her around the waist gently, trying to hold her in place.

"Chill out, babe!" Reid chuckled. Paige stopped the fighting and sat down on his lap. He rubbed the spot where she had managed to smack him on the chest. "Geez woman."

"You know," Tyler started. "It's been a while since we've been to Nicky's."

"Nicky's!" The four girls shouted together, giggling as they ran out of the room. Pogue stared after them with a raised eyebrow.

"They are so strange," he chuckled to himself as Caleb stood and looked down at his uniform.

"I'm gonna go home and change before we go. Pogue, you want a ride to your place?"

"Sure," Pogue answered before turning to Tyler. "Is it cool if Blake rides with you?" Tyler nodded and started changing out of his own uniform.

Reid stood and walked to his dresser pulling out a pair of dark jeans and a shirt. "Later," he called to Pogue and Caleb as the left the room and continued down the hallway to the parking lot.

If possible, the weather seemed to be getting colder and colder as the day dragged on. Once the car was warm and the conversation faded from school, Caleb looked over at his best friend.

"You know," he started, "I've never seen you this way before with a girl."

Pogue grinned as thoughts of his girlfriend consumed his mind. "Blake's amazing. I've never felt this way before, not even with Kate." He let out a happy sigh. "It's only been about a half a year and I'm crazy for her."

"I feel the same way about River," Caleb said thoughtfully. He would never talk to Tyler or Reid about his feelings. Pogue was his best friend and it was easy to share his thought and feelings with him. "There's something different about those girls."

"You love her. And I can tell how much she loves you, too." He glanced at Caleb who was smiling from ear to ear. After a pause Pogue spoke. "I think I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Last night it sort of hit me, like a slap in the face. I felt like I was going to explode. I couldn't picture my life without her." He let out a loud laugh. "Damn, that sounds gay."

Caleb chuckled and let his head drop, shaking it. "Yeah it does but I know what you mean. I'm sure she feels the same. Actually I kinda know she feels the same," he added sheepishly with a grin. "River told me so."

"Really?" Pogue's eyes lit up as he ran a hand through his long hair just as they pulled into the parking lot of his apartment. "Huh," he said, seeming lost in his own thoughts.

A few seconds had passed, Caleb rolled his eyes and shook Pogue by the shoulder. "Dude, come back down from the clouds and go get ready. Your girlfriend will have your head if your late." He laughed as Pogue snapped back to reality and jumped out of the car.

Caleb turned on the radio and pulled out his phone to pass time while he waited for his friend. He smiled to himself as he sent a text to River.

* * *

As usual, Rylee and Blake were ready and waiting for the other two girls to finish up. River was dancing around the room. 'Tap That' by Megan McCauley played through the speakers of Paige's iPod radio who was singing to the waiting girls as she pulled her jeans on.

A small beep came from River's back pocket. She reached for her phone and flipped it open, reading the message to herself. "Aw!" She shouted suddenly causing Rylee jump.

"Is Caleb professing his undying love to you over text or something?" Blake said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Paige laughed and walked to River's side to read the message.

"Well, duh," she replied to the text then lifted her head to Blake. "It's from Caleb, of course, but it's about you."

Blake raised an eyebrow curiously. "Me?"

Rylee stared at River and Paige for a second before jumping from the bed to look at the text herself. She read it then grinned.

"Are you going to tell me what it says or are you just going to stand there?" Blake asked, her voice as curious as her expression.

Grinning, River walked to stand in front of her and held out the phone so that she could see the screen. Paige and Rylee watched Blake's face reddened several shades as she read the message. "Pogue's absolutely head over heels in love with Blake." She read Caleb's message out loud breathlessly.

Rylee started bouncing on her heels as she started to sing. "Blake's gonna get married, Blake's gonna get married!" She grinned as the four of them headed out the door to make their way to Tyler's dorm. Blake rolled her eyes but did not say anything, though her smile grew wider and wider.

Up a flight of stairs and down two hallways, Rylee pushed open the door to Reid and Tyler's dorm without knocking. Tyler was fully dressed sitting on his bed watching TV while Reid stood in the door way of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth.

"You guys ready yet?" River asked, faking impatience as she tapped her foot against the tiled floor. Tyler grabbed his pillow and launched it at her missing her by several inches. She pointed her finger at him in warning while he half hid himself behind Rylee.

"Watch it baby boy," she joked, picking up the pillow and throwing it back on the bed. Paige walked into the bathroom and returned dragging Reid by the hand.

"Come on!" She pushed Tyler and Reid to the door. "Let's go, let's go! I'm ready to have some fun!"

Twenty minutes later Tyler pulled his black Hummer into the parking lot of Nicky's. a few spots down was Caleb's Mustang.

Tyler grabbed Rylee's hand and led the group inside where the music played loudly and the smoke from the bar created a haze. River spotted Caleb and Pogue playing foosball and headed in that direction, grabbing the attention of a group of men who looked to be in their late twenties as she passed.

"Hey sugar," one of the them called. She ignored them, making her way into her boyfriend's arms. Pogue eyes immediately searched for his girlfriend and found her talking with Paige and Tyler by the pool tables. She grinned when she saw him staring and winked but made no move in his direction. Instead, she locked her eyes on him with a come-hither look.

With a grin, he abandoned his game with Caleb and made his way to his girlfriend. "Hey, baby," he whispered against her lips when he stood in front. Rylee saw and started humming her song loud enough for Blake to hear, making her cheeks turn pink.

Reid came up behind Paige who was talking with Tyler, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Dance with me," he spoke softly in her ear. Paige turned to face him, her smile faltered when she saw someone approaching.

"Incoming," she said loud enough for the others to hear who turned and watched the approaching group draw closer.

"Want a game?" Aaron Abbott asked, his eyes on Tyler and Reid. Behind him stood Brody, Chris and Corey.

"Nah," Reid answered. "I don't feel like takin' your money tonight, Abbott." Paige saw Corey's jaw clench and his eyes tighten as Reid wrapped his arm around her waist protectively.

Aaron smirked and took a step closer. "We can make it interesting."

River stepped out from behind Caleb so she stood in front of Aaron. "Okay, let me do a play-by-play of what will happen here. We play, you lose, you bitch about losing and say we somehow cheated, you pick a fight and get kicked out. So, to be honest I'm really not in the mood to hear you bitch. So have a nice night." She patted him on the chest and spun on her heels, grabbing Caleb's hand on her way past him.

She could hear Paige, Reid, and Blake laughing loudly as they followed her to a table. "Oh my God. Seriously River, that," Tyler said, pointing to where Aaron stood with his mouth hanging open, "Is why you're my favorite."

A familiar song played through the speakers of the bar making River squeal with delight. Blake and Paige beat the other two girls to the dance floor and waited for them to come. 'Addicted' by Saving Abel caused a rush of high school students to join the girls on the dance floor.

In the middle of the song a pair of hands circled around River's stomach. She smiled and turned around only to find herself face to face with the man who had yelled after her earlier that night.

Rylee, who was closest to her, swiveled in between them and pulled her toward Blake and Paige. The blonde haired man grabbed Rylee's upper arm tightly. "I was dancing with her," he hissed, his breath smelling strongly of beer.

"Yeah, well now you're not." Rylee tried to jerk her arm from his grasp but his grip only tightened. She closed her eyes. Underneath, the iris' of her eyes turned to a glowing golden-yellow, letting her power take over for a fraction of a second.

The man gave sudden yelp as Rylee opened up her eyes. He jerked his hand away from the young girl as if he had been shocked. He reached toward her again in anger but was stopped by a strong hand that latched around his wrist.

"Don't touch her again," Tyler growled, pushing him back a few steps causing him to knock into a few other dancers. In seconds two more men stood behind the blonde, one dark haired and one sandy blonde. They stalked towards Tyler who was protectively standing in front of the girls.

Suddenly Caleb, Reid, and Pogue were at Tyler's flanks. "Is there a problem?" Pogue asked, arms crossed over his chest.

The one with sandy blonde hair snatching his friends shirt from the back, halting his advancing steps. "Hold up, man." He spoke loud enough for the Sons to hear before dropping his voice to a whisper. River, being the curious being she was, closed her eyes and laid her forehead lightly on Paige's shoulder letting her keen animal senses kick in. She listened intently on the whispering blonde's words.

"-can't mess with them," he said in an anxious voice. The dark haired one's eyes flicked to the four guys in front of him and back to his friend. "They're the Sons of Ipswich."

Comprehension dawned on the blonde's face as he stood up straight and stepped back, putting a few good feet in between them. "No problem here," he answered before turning away.

Caleb stared after the retreating men, confused. Honestly, he was expecting a fight though he didn't want one. Pogue and Reid on the other hand looked disappointed.

"Okay, what just happened?" Rylee asked, looking just as confused Caleb. "I so thought a fight was gonna go down."

"Ah, yeah so did I." Blake was relieved that it didn't happen.

River laughed once and placed a hand on Reid's shoulder. "They didn't want to fight you cause you're the Sons of Ipswich."

"Seriously?" Tyler chuckled. "How do you know that?"

"Ty, hello! Animal senses, remember?" River smirked, pointing to herself.

"When has us being the Sons of Ipswich ever stopped anyone else from trying to fight us?" Caleb asked looking to Reid, Pogue and Tyler. Pogue shrugged his shoulders, disappointment still on his face.

Blake slinked her arm around Pogue's waist. "Shall we dance, boyfriend?" She grinned and pulled him to the center of the dance floor without waiting for an answer while the others went back to the table.

River and Rylee soon joined Pogue and Blake to dance. Reid and Tyler went off to play a game of foosball, leaving Caleb and Paige at the table. "So when do you think their getting married?" Caleb joked, nodding his head in the dancing couples direction.

Paige looked over her shoulder to where the dance floor was behind her to see Blake standing on her tiptoes to plant a chaste kiss on his lips. "And I was worried about you guys getting along."

"You were?" Caleb asked before he took a drink from his coke. Paige shrugged and nodded.

"Sure. Who would have thought that it would have worked out this perfect?" _Fate. _She answered herself just as Reid walked up to the table while Tyler found Rylee there way to the dance floor. He took a seat next to Paige and grabbed her hand in his.

"We should probably head out," Reid said looking at the time, then to Caleb and Paige. "It's a school night."

Caleb's jaw dropped. "Did that really just come out of Reid Garwin's mouth?"

Reid smirked and flipped off his older friend. "That's the Garwin I know." Caleb laughed and stood up, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair. "I'll get the others."

Paige stood up after Reid and walked with him to the front door. As they waited for the others her eyes raked the bar. The group of men that had almost picked a fight with them watched as the other girls walked by but kept their mouths shut. At the pool tables Aaron and Chris were in a game with Brody and Corey.

Corey's eyes flicked to Paige catching her looking in his direction. She quickly averted her eyes from his and to her approaching friends. _Great now he's gonna think I was staring at him._ Shrugging it off as Reid grabbed her hand to leave, she glanced one more time around the bar and noticed that Corey was openly staring at her. Paige glared at him and pulled herself closer to Reid as she followed the others out of Nicky's.


	24. Chapter 24

Ch. 24

Nearly a month had gone by, and in that time the professors at Spenser Academy piled on homework as the day of finals crept upon them day by day. But before the dreaded finals week was the event every senior look forward to the most, aside from graduation. Prom.

Tired of their noses being shoved in textbooks, doing homework and taking notes, Blake, Paige, Rylee and River decided they needed a well deserved break.

It was a Saturday morning and the four girls were thousands of miles from Ipswich, Massachusetts in the beautiful sunshine state of California. Paige had teleported them one by one to a patch of small trees outside a small, homey house in Los Angeles.

Not being able to wait for the others to arrive, Blake raced from the small wooded area and up the front steps, taking them two at a time. She raised her fist to the dark wooden door and knocked three times, loud and clear. Excitement coursed through her, and when the door opened a half a minute later, she was nearly jumping out of her skin.

Blake gaze

A tall, older, handsome dark haired man with thick brows stood in the doorway, a look of complete and utter shock on his face.

"Blake?"

"Hey dad!" Blake said happily as she through her arms around her father's shoulders. Recovering from his momentary shock, Blake's dad squeezed his daughter, laughing at the pleasant surprise. At that moment, Paige, Rylee and River leapt up onto the front porch, grinning.

Blake's dad gaze went to them with an amused smile. "I should have known you three would be here as well." He looked around the group beaming with happiness. "You all look great. Healthy and well. Well, come in!"

The girls were ushered into the house where the smell of cookies wafted through the air. "Craig, since when do you bake cookies?" River asked as she sniffed the delicious scent coming from the kitchen.

"Umm. Well, uh, I don't bake cookies," Craig said. "Sienna does."

Blake's eyebrows raised in confusion as soft humming sounded from the room ahead of them. Craig's cheeks were faintly pink when his eyes met his daughters. "Dad, is there a woman in there?" She asked in a surprised tone.

Craig smiled sheepishly as a slender woman with auburn hair appeared in the door way who looked suddenly startled at the newly arrived guests. "Sienna," he motioned for her to come by his side. "This is my daughter Blake and her friends Rylee, Paige and River. Girls, this is Sienna, my girlfriend."

"Failed to mention this minor detail over the phone?" Blake laughed, then turned to the woman. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

Sienna let out a breath and smiled in return. "I've heard so much about you it feels like I already know you." Her voice was soft voice and her dark green eyes were kind as they ran over the other three girls. "Nice to meet you girls. I didn't know we were having company but lucky for you I made extra cookies." Her long dark hair flipped over her shoulder as she turned and made her way back into the kitchen.

"She seems nice," Paige said with a smile. "And she's cute! Way to go, Craig!"

"I wasn't ready to tell you just yet," Craig admitted to Blake as he led the way into the small but comfortable living room. Blake held up a hand to stop her dad, her gaze soft as she looked upon her father.

"It's okay, Dad. I'm happy for you!" She went to him and pulled him into another hug. "It's good to be home."

Craig smiled with unshed tears. "It's good to have you back here."

Since the girls moved to Ipswich, Rylee, River, and Blake only saw their parents a few times, only because they didn't want to risk them getting pulled into the loop of the magical world that the girls had been thrown into at such a young age. Though the threat of Demon no longer lingered over the girls' lives, other things kept them too busy to have a chance to come visit, but thankfully things had finally started to calm down.

"So what brings you back to the West Coast?" Craig asked as Sienna walked into the room with a plate full of Chocolate Chip cookies.

"Well we had some free time and thought we'd come pay our families a visit since it's been so long," Rylee answered before adding, "And prom is coming up so Los Angeles seemed like the perfect place to dress shop."

"There wasn't much of a selection of dresses to choose from in Ipswich so by coming here we know no one will have the same dresses as us," Paige added excitedly with a smirk.

_What do you think? Of Sienna, I mean, _River asked Blake, using their shared link of telepathy.

Blake was silent for a few seconds before answering as she watched her dad interact with his new girlfriend. _Well he seems to really like her so I like her as well. She seems nice enough. _

_Hey, Sienna should come with us when we shop! _Rylee said with enthusiasm. _Maybe you guys can bond, Blake. _

_Good idea Ryl's. _"Sienna, would you want to come with us? We could use another woman's opinion on dresses." Blake said kindly as she took a cookie from the plate in front of her.

Sienna glanced at Craig briefly then back at Blake. "Oh, um. Yeah, okay. Let me go change real quick." She stood from her seat and exited the room, leaving the five others alone.

"That was really nice of you, Blake." Craig smiled. "She's been nervous about meeting you."

"I'm just glad you finally started dating again," she said. When Blake was young, her mother left her and her father to be with another man. And ever since then her father refused to date.

Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs and Sienna appeared. "Ready when you are," she said in an anxious voice.

Rylee, River, and Paige stood to say their goodbyes to Blake's father and headed out the door. Sienna walked to him and placed a kiss on his lips. "Have fun," he said to her before she followed the other three out.

"Bye." Blake hugged her father and kissed his cheek. A thought seemed to cross her mind because her eyed her father. "Does she know?"

Knowing what she was talking about he shook his head. "Of course not. That little secret stays a secret unless absolutely necessary."

Blake nodded. "Good. I wouldn't want you to scare her off. We'll be back soon." She waved goodbye then shut the door behind her.

* * *

The next morning Paige had called Reid to tell him she found the perfect dress.

"It's a surprise," Paige said, holding her cell phone between her shoulder and ear. "No, Reid. You already know the color and that's all you need to know." Mumbling was heard from the other end as Paige made her way from the living room to the kitchen where Rylee, Blake and River were. "Listen babe I got to go. I will be home soon. I love you." She hung up the phone and looked around at her three best friends.

"They up yet?" she asked.

"Not yet," Blake answered as she fixed a large batch of scrambled eggs while River cooked some bacon. "We are making them breakfast, they will smell it soon enough."

"River you seem happy," Rylee noted as she set the table for six.

"I am happy," she replied. "I'm home and I'm making breakfast for my family for the first time in what feels like forever. I missed this."

After shopping for prom dresses that previous night, River wanted to see her mom and step dad who also lived in Los Angeles, not too far from where Blake's dad lived. River's step dad, Tony had practically raised her with her mother since she was a baby. She thought of him as her dad since she has never met her biological father.

"Yum," a deep voice rang from the hallway. Tony appeared in the doorway still in his night clothes. "Smells awesome." River's mother, Mary followed closely behind her husband. She greeted each girl with a kiss on the cheek before sitting down at the table where a mountain of hot eggs and bacon sat waiting.

"When will you be off?" Mary asked, her dark eyes on her daughter as she filled her plate with food.

River glanced at the clock. "Soon. I have homework to do before class in the morning, though I wish I could stay longer."

Tony placed a hand on his step daughter's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "We wish you could stay longer too, sweetie." With a smile, River shooed him away, telling him to eat.

Once settled at the table, Tony eyes his step daughter. "So tell us some more about this Caleb boy...when do we get to meet him?"

River shrugged and couldn't help but smile at the mention of her boyfriend of almost eight months. Her smile turned to a grin as she thought back on when he asked her to the prom a few weeks back.

_Flashback_

"_Caleb Danvers, is a blindfold absolutely necessary?" River asked in a slightly irritated voice. "I can't see a thing. Where are you taking me?"_

"_Shh. It's a surprise," Caleb answered as the car came to a stop. She heard the door open and close then heard her own door open. A hand wrapped around her waist as she was lifted from the car and set down on her feet. A tug on her hand told her to move forward._

_River walked quietly hand in hand with Caleb and her mind raced. She had no idea what was going on and was curious to see where he was taking her. The sudden stop heightened her curiosity and Caleb let got of her hand, leaving her to stand blindfolded and alone. _

"_Caleb?" River called out softly but got no answer. "Caleb?" She called again, but still no answer. Her hand went cautiously and slowly to the back of her head where the blindfold was tied in a loose knot. The fabric was pulled down with her hand and fell to the ground. _

_She stood in a large room and recognized it at once as Caleb's living room. Her breath caught as she looked at the sight before her. Dozens of candles were lit, casting a dim light on her boyfriend who stood in the middle of the room holding a single white rose. At his feet 'Prom?' was spelled out in candles._

"_River," Caleb said as he walked forward and handed the rose to his girlfriend. "Will you go to prom with me?" _

_River grinned, overwhelmed with the efforts he put into this. "Yes, of course," she said before placing her lips on his for a sweet kiss._

Back in the present and in her mind, River squealed excitedly. "You will meet him soon enough, Tony." River said as she joined her parents and friends to eat.

* * *

The next Saturday, Reid walked up to the bar where he stood, eyes glossy and mind buzzing.

"Four beer," he slurred. The man behind the bar set down four beer bottles in front of the underage boy and held out a rough hand. Reid slipped him two twenty dollar bills and walked away swiftly toward the table where the other boys sat. "Here you are boys."

Pogue held up his own beer in the air for a toast. "To friendship!" were the words that stumbled out of his mouth. Tonight was boys night out for the Sons of Ipswich while their girlfriends had a whole night planned for themselves.

Many hours and many beers later, Tyler, Pogue and Reid stumbled out of the bar. Caleb left a few minutes earlier to get the car so his friends didn't have to stumble too far. He decided to be the designated driver for the night so he sobered up well before leaving the bar. "We kicked ass!" Tyler yelled as he climbing into the back seat of his Hummer.

"Yeah Ty, we get it," Pogue said in an annoyed tone. Tyler and Reid had played three games of pool against Aaron and Brody, and won all of them. Normally it wouldn't be such a big deal seeing how they usually beat Aaron and his boys, but this particular game they bet twenty dollars on each ball. Aaron, Brody and a few other of their friends were furious, even more so than usual when they were beat.

Reid leaned forward from the backseat. "You guys can crash at my place if you want." Tyler nodded his head but did not speak.

"Nah, I'd rather just go back to my place," Pogue answered with his head in his hands. Caleb agreed with Pogue, saying that he was going back to his house because he had to get up early and help his mother with a few things.

They pulled up to Reid's house a few minutes later. Him and Tyler hopped carefully out of the car without falling, after saying goodbye to the guys.

"Man, I think I drank too much," Tyler complained, wobbling from side to side as he made his way to the front door. Reid unlocked to door with his keys and followed Tyler inside but stopped before closing the door behind him.

"Damn, I lost my phone." Reid patted his pants and jacket pockets, looking around the foyer as if it would suddenly appear. "Car," he said, remembering that it was in his car where he had left it after school. Turning on his heels he made his way back outside and to the garage.

Reid found his phone sitting in the passenger seat of his car. "Gotcha." He closed the garage door and starting walking back to the house when he heard footsteps coming from behind him. Quickly, he turned just in time to see a fist flying at his face.

* * *

"-went looking for him." Tyler's soft voice sounded strained and tired as he spoke.

A deeper and louder voice stirred Reid in his sleep, though went unnoticed by the others. "Who the hell would have done this?"

"I don't know but I think whoever it was heard me coming because they were gone by the time I got outside," Tyler trailed off again as he responded to the older Son of Ipswich. "How's he healing?"

Caleb answered this time, as he was the one who was healing the blonde. "Good. He got hard kick in the side… three ribs were cracked but they healed well, though I'm afraid I can't heal anything else. We don't want to draw attention just incase whoever did this is someone we know…"

Reid groaned and made to sit up but was stopped by a sudden sharp pain that shot up his side. "Shit," he said reaching for his side, trying to fight the urge to cry out in pain.

"Hey man, how do you feel?" Pogue asked with concern as he slowly helped his friend to a sitting position. Reid shook his head, unable to speak from the pain coursing through his body. He felt as though a truck had hit him. His head pounded and his body ached.

"What happened?" he asked, speaking in a whisper as he took shallow breaths. Any deep breath would send a searing pain down his side.

"Well, what do you remember?" Caleb asked. It was then that Reid realized he was in his own bedroom sitting on his bed while Tyler sat on the chair across from it. Pogue and Caleb stood over Reid with their arms crossed, waiting for Reid to explain.

"I remember going to my car to get my phone," he started with a raspy voice. "I felt like someone was following me and when I turned around a fist collided with my face."

Tyler stood and crossed his arms like Caleb and Pogue. "That's when I went looking for him and found him."

"Paige is going to freak," Reid said as he looked into the mirror and noticed his swollen eye, busted lips and a large bruise that rested on his left cheek.

Pogue nodded his head, smiling. "Yeah, probably."

* * *

"Oh my God," Paige gasped at the sight of her boyfriend. She raced down the hallway, meeting him halfway. Everyone who walked by turned at stared, their mouth hanging open as they gazes landed on the beaten up Son if Ipswich. She reached her hand to Reid's face and gently touched the large bruise with her fingertips. "What happened to you?"

"Got jumped or something the other night," Reid replied. The following day after he'd been jumped, Paige wanted to see him but he made up some excuse so she didn't have to see him like this. "It looks worse that it feels. I didn't want you to worry about it cause it's not that big of a deal."

Paige's eyes narrowed. "Not that big of a deal? Reid you were jumped!"

Reid shook his head. "It's not like I haven't been in a fight before, Paige. This is nothing. I'm fine, I promise."

"Fine," she huffed, then spoke with a thoughtful voice. "I guess I'm not surprised… trouble does tend to find us easily."

Reid laughed and kissed her cheek just as the bell rang, signaling that the students had two minutes to get to class.

* * *

To everyone's delight, Prom day arrived in a flash. The teachers called the day short in order for the students of Spenser Academy to have enough time to get ready. This year, the prom was being held in Boston hotel in a fancy ballroom. Most of the students had decided to just stay overnight at the hotel instead of driving all the way back to Ipswich, including the Sons and the girls.

"Prom! Prom!" Rylee sung at the top of her lungs as she bounded around Paige's room in her underwear. Blake poked her head out from the bathroom where she just finished up River's makeup.

"Rylee, shut it!" She laughed at her bouncy friend. "Now come in here so I can do your makeup." Rylee obeyed and skipped to the bathroom while River sat down in front of Paige on a small stool.

River grinned at her blonde haired friend in the reflection of the mirror. "You know, I like this whole pampering thing."

Paige rolled her eyes and started curling her dark hair into loose curls. "Yeah, don't get used to it." She glanced over her shoulder at the four dresses that were laid out on her large bed; four pairs of shoes and jewelry to match laid by each dress. Each one was a different color and different style, but all complimented the girls bodies.

There was a knock on the door and Tyler's mom Madison walked in the room. "Oh, you girls look fabulous!"

"Madison we haven't even gotten dressed yet," Paige laughed as she added the final touches to River's hair. "But we will be down in about twenty or so minutes."

Madison smiled broadly. "The boys are anxious to see you girls. They look very handsome," she said proudly as Blake and Rylee came out of the bathroom. All four girls grinned in excitement.

"Well I'll let you finish getting ready. We are taking pictures, don't forget!" Madison called over her shoulder as she bustled out of the room and back down the stairs.

Downstairs Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler waited patiently for the girls with corsages in hand. Tyler sat on the couch, next to Pogue's dad, Parry, in a crisp black suit with a golden-yellow vest and tie. His blue eyes kept flickering to the stairwell, anxious to see his girlfriend.

Caleb stood behind a single chair where his mother sat. His light green vest and tie complimented his dark hair and eyes. Pogue, who stood next to Reid, was in a black suit just like the other boys but had a purple tie and vest. His long hair was slicked back neatly for the occasion.

"Ah here they come," Penn, who sat closest to the living room entrance, announced to everyone. Reid stood up straighter, his eyes on the stairs as his mother fixed his pink tie that matched his vest.

Two at a time the girls entered to living room, smiles lit up their faces as they looked around at everyone.

"Wow," Caleb breathed as he approached his dark haired girlfriend. She too wore the color of a light green. Her dress was long, just brushing the ground and came up to tie around her neck in a halter. A few curls laid softly on her shoulder but the rest was pulled up into an elegant up-do. "You look beautiful," he said then kissed her cheek before sliding the matching corsage onto her wrist.

"You don't look so bad yourself," River grinned in return just as Kassandra ushered the couple to the other side of the room for pictures.

Rylee practically skipped over to where Tyler stood with his mouth slightly hanging open. She giggled then lifted his jaw closed. "Hey there handsome." She grinned and spun on the spot making her knee length, flowing yellow-golden gown twirl around her. Her short brown hair was straight and pulled up into a clip on one side.

"You're absolutely breath taking," he whispered against her lips. Madison approached to pair holding a corsage box. "Oh, right."

Caleb and River had finished with their pictures and stood to the side while Kassandra took Blake and Pogue's pictures. Pogue's hand was wrapped around Blake's waist while her arms were draped over his shoulders. Her dress was purple, the same color as her boyfriends vest, and it brushed to ground like's River's did, though hers was strapless. Her dark brown hair was down and curled softly.

"Well you clean up nicely, Miss Elliot." Reid smirked as he placed the pink corsage on Paige's wrist. She reached up and smoothed down his pink vest. "You know, not many guys can pull off the color pink," she said then reached to his black eye, brushing her fingertips over it softly. "You look very fetching, Mr. Garwin."

Reid grinned, letting his blue eyes look his girlfriend up an down. "You look gorgeous."

Paige had on a soft pink halter dress that hung just above her knees. Her blonde hair was curled like Blake and River's though was pulled half up, leaving just enough down to fall over her shoulders.

"You two!" Reid's mom, Demi called to Paige and Reid. "It's your turn for pictures!" The couple obeyed Demi's order and let Kassandra take their pictures.

After the couples pictures, they took some of the guys and the girls as groups. "Kids, the limo just arrived." Terrance, Tyler's dad called to them from the foyer. The four girls squealed with joy and burst into fits of giggles as they followed the boys out of the house after saying goodbye to the parents.

"Have fun! Be safe!" the mom's called as the two dads waved from the porch.

The long white stretch hummer limo pulled from Paige's driveway at a slow pace but picked up speed once they hit the highway to Boston.

* * *

An hour later the limo pulled up in front of an extravagant hotel. The sign that was lit up in bright lights read: Hyatt Regency Boston. The group grabbed their bags and entered through the front doors into a beautiful lobby that was now filled with teenagers making their way to the grand ballroom that was located on the fourth floor.

"Wait here," Reid told the others while he and Pogue went to check-in and get the room keys. The boys returned and led the way to the 9th floor where their rooms were.

Pogue stopped in front of one door that was near the end of the hallway. "A key for you and a key for us." He handed one of the two keys to Caleb who walked to the room across from where Pogue stood and opened it. River, Rylee and Tyler followed him into the room while Paige, Reid and Blake followed Pogue into the other.

In each room two large beds sat along the wall that seemed to take up most of the room. A mini bar sat in the corner that was sure to be raided before the night ended.

After dropping off the bags, the group met back in the hallway a few minutes later. "Prom here we come!" Rylee giggled then grabbed Paige's hand and rushed down the hallway as fast as her high heels would allow. Reid, who was holding Paige's other hand, was pulled behind them.

"Oh my gosh!" Blake jumped up and down once they made it to the fourth floor. They followed the music around the corner and came upon set of large double doors that stood open. Inside, a dozen tables were set up in each corner of the room leaving a large space in the middle for the dance floor.

Near the doors, a DJ was set up, surrounded by two speakers that carried the music to the very back of the room. "This is amazing!" Paige shouted over the music as they made their way to one of the many tables. Rylee, River and Reid disappeared to the bar to get everyone drinks while the others waited for them to return so they could dance.

"Come on babe, let's dance!" Paige said when Reid was within earshot. She grabbed the drinks that he carried, set them on the table and pulled her boyfriend onto the dance floor.

Soon Caleb, River, Blake and Pogue joined the others to dance while Tyler and Rylee were mingling with their classmates. A few minutes later the couple excused themselves and made their way to their friends on the dance floor.

The fast paced music slowed to a medley as Edwin McCain's "I Could Not Ask For More" sounded through the speakers. Most of the dancers paired off while others made their way off the floor and to their seats.

Caleb wrapped his arms around River's waist and pulled her close to him. She closed her eyes as her cheek rested against her boyfriend's, a smile growing on her face as he started to sing to her. Her heart sputtered as she listened to the lyrics of the song. They were describing exactly how she felt whenever she was with Caleb. In that moment she realized how much she loved him and wanted to be with him. Forever.

She opened her eyes and gazed into his dark brown eyes. There she saw all the love that she felt reflecting back at her.

"I love you, River Daniels," Caleb spoke softly to her when the song ended and a new one begun. "So much."

River smiled back at him. "I love you more. And forever."

"Aw. Look at you girls!" Allison, a cute blonde girl from the school's swim team gushed over the four girls. "You all look gorgeous!" Allison smiled sweetly and grabbed her prom dates arm. To Paige's dismay it was Corey who she clung too.

Paige felt Reid stiffen then his grip tightened protectively around her waist. She nudged him in the side, silently saying that his protectiveness wasn't necessary. Corey hadn't talked to Paige in weeks. Sure, she caught him staring at her sometimes but as long as he wasn't bothering her, she was fine.

A slow smirk appeared on Corey's face as his eyes landed on Reid. He seemed pleased with himself over something. "Thanks Allison, you look really nice too!" Rylee said with enthusiasm.

Allison waved the compliment away with her hand. "Oh, this old thing?" She joked before excusing herself, dragging Corey behind her who still had a smirk on his face. His gaze went to Paige as he disappeared into the growing crowd of dancers.

Reid's grip loosened and his eyes turned on Paige. "You want a drink?" he asked, but didn't wait for her to answer before towing her to the table. Blake and Pogue followed.

"Reid, are you okay?" Paige asked after a few minutes of his silence. All she got in reply was a short nod of his head.

"I didn't like that smirk he gave you, man," Pogue said, looking around the room. Reid's head snapped up to look at his friend.

"You saw that too?" he asked. Blake snorted a laugh causing the other three to stare at her.

"Come on guys," she laughed. "Stop being so paranoid."

Paige grabbed her boyfriend's face, making him look her in the eyes. "Baby, stop. We are here to have fun. I don't want you to worry about anything else tonight besides just you and me, okay?"

Reid heaved a sigh. "Fine."

"Good, now I want to see a smile and I want you to kiss me." Reid laughed at his girlfriend but obeyed, giving her a cheesy smile before kissing her lips.

A half an hour later the music stopped making the junior and senior class groan and shout in disapproval. "Quiet down, quiet down!" the DJ shouted over the yelling students. "It's time to announce the Prom King and Queen!"

Cheers erupted quickly before the room went silent again as an envelope was placed in the DJ's hand by Provost Higgins. "Alright, Spenser's Prom King is," he paused to open the envelope, "Mr. Caleb Danvers!"

River cheered louder than the others as her boyfriend walked forward where he accepted a crown and a sash that said 'Prom King'. The crowd died down, patiently waiting for the announcement of who was to win Prom Queen.

Kira stood close to the front, a cocky smile on her face as if expecting to win the title. Aaron stood next to her with a sour look on his face, glaring at Caleb who also stood waiting.

"Now your Prom Queen is Miss," he paused for dramatic effect. Kira stepped forward with a smile on her face as if her name was about to be called. "Rylee Brooks!" The red head's face fell at the sound of any other name but hers.

"Rylee!" Blake shoved the blue-eyed girls shoulder whose mouth was hanging open in shock. Tyler laughed at his girlfriend's astonished expression.

"Baby!" he yelled over the shouts and cheers. "That's your name! Go!"

Rylee looked around still in shock but made her way slowly to the front where Caleb stood applauding like the rest of the crowd. The crown was placed on her head and the sash around her body. "Let's hear it for this years Spenser Prom King and Queen!" The DJ yelled over the microphone causing an explosion of cheers from the students. "Now, for the first dance of your new King and Queen."

A slow song was put on and Caleb offered his arm to Rylee. She rolled her eyes but smiled and accepted it as he led her to the dance floor. Other couples joined them, including their friends. Tyler had asked River to dance since they both were partner-less for the time being.

"Congrats Ryl's!" River said with a grin on her face. "You too, baby." She added to Caleb with a wink.

"Why did the majority vote for me?" Rylee asked incredulously as she adjusted her arms around Caleb's neck. Tyler stopped dancing immediately and turned to face his girlfriend.

"Because you are gorgeous, sweet, nice to everyone…well, mostly everyone." He laughed but continued. "You have to most amazing personality and you are beautiful."

Reid snorted. "You already said that." Tyler ignored him, Paige smacked his chest while Rylee stared at her boyfriend as the song came to an end. She stepped out of Caleb's arms and into Tyler's.

"You are too sweet for your own good," she said as her lips met his. "Now, can we take a break from dancing? My feet kill!"

The girls agreed and with aching feet made their way to the table with Reid and Pogue. A few students stopped Caleb to congratulate him while Pogue went to get Blake another drink.

Once Caleb and Pogue returned to the table and everyone sat comfortably, Paige stood with her glass in her hand. "I would like to make a toast," she said and raised her drink, urging the others to do so as well. "I want to just say how lucky I am to have friends like you guys. Boys, you mean the world to me and have been there for me since we were kids…well Caleb, Ty and Pogue have." Paige glanced at Reid who laughed. "Reid, we started off practically hating each other and now look at us! I love you so much."

"I love you too, babe." He smiled, his blue eyes sparkled as he looked at his girlfriend.

She leaned down and kissed his lips before speaking again. "And last but certainly not least, my best friends. Girls you saved me from depression when I moved to California and ever since I met you it has been a hard journey but well worth all the pain and struggle. If anything happened to any of you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I love all of you."

"Aw. Peanut." Tyler wiped a fake tear from his eye in a joking manner. "We love you, too."

River stood from her chair, pulling Blake and Reid up with her. "To friendship!" Caleb, Pogue and Rylee stood up and held their drinks out just as the others did.

"Not to friendship," Reid stopped and looked around at his friends. "To family."


	25. Chapter 25

Ch. 25

Paige smiled and kissed her boyfriend's cheek. "That was really sweet."

Reid smirked at her after setting down his drink. "That was a onetime thing," he spoke to her as they made their way back to the dance floor.

"You're turning him soft, Paige," Pogue chuckled as he passed the couple with Blake on his. "He's no longer the badass Reid Garwin, that we all knew and hated." Blake laughed along with the older Son of Ipswich while Reid flipped him off.

Paige laid her head on his chest and sighed contently. "This night is perfect, nothing can go wrong," she said as they spun in a slow circle. Reid smiled a genuine smile and rested his head on top of his girlfriend's.

The night continued on with everyone having the time of their lives. The end of the school year was less then three months away, bringing with it Graduation Day for the senior class.

It wasn't until near the end of the night that the dancing started to die down. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen here is the last song of the evening. Enjoy." The DJ said into the microphone.

Couples went the large dance floor as "Amazed" by Lonestar played through the speakers.

After the song ended everyone gathered their things and either headed back to Ipswich or to their hotel rooms for the night. The hotel manager made it clear to the Provost of Spenser Academy that if they were to allow the students to room overnight that they would have to obey a curfew of 1 a.m.

"That was one of the best nights ever!" Blake mused as the eight of them piled into an elevator. River and Paige grinned, agreeing with their friend. In the corner Rylee yawned and curled closer to Tyler.

"Tired?" he asked; her response was another yawn.

They had an early start to the morning with school and a long night of dancing, so exhaustion was slowly creeping over some of them.

Once the elevator stopped, the eight got off and walked to their room where Pogue checked the time. The clock on the nightstand between the two beds told him it was only ten minutes passed midnight. He ran a hand through his hair that was no longer slicked back. "I say a midnight swim is in order."

Blake and Paige grinned. Reid had already reached into his bag and pulled out his swimming trunks. "I'll go tell the others." Blake walked from the room, reappearing a minute later she said, "Rylee pretty much passed out in her dress and Tyler is going to stay with her. Caleb said he was worn out too but River is gonna come with us I think."

"Awesome," Reid said as he came out of the large bathroom in his swimming trunks and a towel hanging around his neck.

The girls grinned and grabbed their own bathing suits and took turns changing in the bathroom. Within five minutes the four of them made their way out into the hallway where River was waiting patiently in her bathing suit with a towel wrapped around her.

"You all ready to have a mini pool party?" she said, wiggling her eyebrows. Her, Paige and Blake raced down the hallway and back to the elevators, giggled as quietly as they could as to not be overheard.

The hallways were empty as they made their way down to where the pool was on the fourth floor. "Well, damn," Blake said, reaching for the door and finding it locked. "Pool closed at eleven."

Paige grinned. "It's not locked."

Blake stared at her as she shook the locked door. "Yes, it is, Paige. See, it's locked."

The blonde smirked as the iris of her eyes flashed pink and she was gone. She reappeared on the other side of the locked door and waved from where she stood. With a sly grin, she reached down and unlocked the previous locked door. "See," Paige said, pushing the door open. "It's not locked."

Reid laughed with the others as they walked into the pool area that had a strong smell of chlorine. Pogue took a running jump and leapt into the pool causing a large splash.

"Holy shit!" he yelled as he clambered out of the pool. "It's freezing!"

Blake laughed and smirked as an idea struck her. She bent low to the cold water, reached into her sweatpants pocket and pulled out a lighter. Her eyes flashed purple while she flicked on the lighter and sent a stream of flames into the icy water. A few minutes later, she broke the surface with her toes and grinned.

She jumped in after undressing. Paige and Reid followed. "Nice and warm."

"What if we get caught?" River asked hesitantly just as Pogue jumped into the water for the second time, sending a wall of water over Paige.

"No one is going to catch us," Blake said, sounding sure of herself and trying to hid her laughter at Paige's shocked face. "We have to keep a keen ear on that. And when I say _we_ I mean _you_."

River bit her lip and thought about it then a smile slowly crept on her lips.

"Ah, what the hell." She grinned and cannon balled into the water, making a splash. Pogue grinned as his eyes bled black and a small ball of water lifted a few inches above the pool. He chuckled to himself as he threw it, hitting a unsuspecting Blake on the side of the head.

"Uh!" she yelled with a small laugh before taking off in the direction of her boyfriend. Within the hour a full blown water fight broke out. The clock now read five past one in the morning, which was five minutes past curfew.

Pogue was holding a giggling Paige over his head when all of a sudden River's eyes flashed lime green. "Shh!" she hushed her babbling friends, who all froze with their eyes on River. "Someone's coming."

Frantic at being caught past curfew, even a few minutes late, the five teens quickly got out of the pool and grabbed their things.

Blake ran to the door that led the way back to the hallway but slid to a halt when a hand grabbed her arm. "No!" River whispered and pulled her in the other direction to where to locker rooms and bathrooms were. "We have to hide!" Reid followed the two girls into the locker room while Paige ran in the direction of the sauna with Pogue right on her heels.

Paige flung the door open and took a large breath before walking into the steam filled room. With her obscured vision she made her way to the back part of the dark sauna just incase someone thought to peek in.

"Pogue?" she whispered as she pulled on her shirt and shorts over her wet bathing suit. _Hm. Must not have followed me in here. Hope everyone found a hiding spot._

The minutes ticked by but she kept silent as she waited for the O.K. from River. It was hard to breath in the hot, steamy room. Paige heard the door open, then close. Hoping it wasn't the night Hotel security, she cautiously peaked around the pillar she hid behind but saw no one, so she stepped toward the door. "Pogue?" she said a little louder then the first time. No one answered. "Reid? Reid. If you're trying to scare me…" Her sentence lingered as a small movement to her left caught her attention.

"You've been discovered, sneaky one." Paige laughed at the efforts of her boyfriend or friend. Gradually, she gained some of her sight back as she squinted but saw no one where she early saw movement. Or thought she saw movement. "Huh." With shallow breaths she turned around to exit the sauna when a hand caught around her mouth and nose.

"Okay, you got me," she said with a muffled voice and waited for the hand to lower but instead it was replaced with a cloth.

Suddenly realizing this was not a friend, her hand flew to the arm trying to pull it away from her face. The smell of chloroform quickly filled her nostrils as she tried to find the connection to her friends. Just as she breached the link, her eyelids slide shut and she drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Okay," River's voice came softly from a locker next to Blake. "It's safe." She stepped out of the locker and opened the one her friend was in. "Whoever it was, they just left."

"It's about time," an irritated voice came from above them. The two girls looked up the see Reid floating near the ceiling of the tall room with midnight black eyes.

"You're lucky Paige didn't see that," Blake scolded once Reid stood next to them. He rolled his eyes and turned away from the two, walking out into the pool area.

Pogue stepped out from behind a thin white cabinet that held dozens of towels. "That was a close one. I heard whoever it was walk right past me," he said as he joined the others. "Let's get Paige and get out of here. I think she went into the sauna."

The four of them walked quickly down the small hallway and opened the door to the sauna. "Paige?" Pogue called from the entrance as foggy steam poured out.

Reid pushed his friend out of the way and strolled further into the steamed filled room. "Paige, come on." He waited a few seconds for a reply before turning to the others. "River?" The dark haired girl walked to the side of Reid as her eyes flashed lime green and her keen wolf senses kicked in. She breathed in and out through her mouth trying to get more oxygen from the hot room as her eyes scanned the large room.

"She's not in here," she said, breathing for the first time through her nose. The familiar smell of her blonde haired friend's shampoo filled her nostrils but there was one scent that was not recognizable. "Okay, never mind, she was in here."

"Well then where is she now?" Pogue thought out loud.

Being almost second nature to the girls, Blake quickly found the connection that the four girls shared to talk telepathically. Only unlike normal, this time it felt different, like a link was missing.

"River," she said in a worried voice. This strange feeling has happened once before when the girls were training. Rylee had passed out after a long, vigorous training session in 90 degree weather. The other girls had tried to wake her up using telepathy but they couldn't reach her.

"I can't reach her either," River replied in a forced calm voice as to not worry the guys. She left Reid's side and looked around the room again but like before, Paige was nowhere to be found.

In silence they walked out of the sauna, across the pool area and back out into the hallway. River lead the way to the elevators with her eyes still glowing and using her keen senses. Once in the elevator Reid broke the tensioned silence.

"What does that mean? When you can't reach her?" He asked, blues eyes glancing from River to Blake.

The girls exchanged a look before speaking. "It means that she's unconscious," Blake said, not looking at either of the Sons. The elevator stopped and the four of them stepped out and walked down the long hallway to the rooms.

"Unconscious?" Reid said, worry etched in his handsome features. "But-"

"I don't know how she became unconscious or where she is," River interrupted just as they came to the door. She took out her card key and opened the door. The room was dark, and three sleeping forms could be seen. "Rylee," Blake called loudly.

Rylee stirred next to Tyler and slowly opened her eyes. "What is it?" she murmured sleepily.

"It's Paige," River answered as she grabbed fresh clothes from her bag. "She's missing and we can't reach her." Rylee sat straight up, waking Tyler up as she did so.

"What?" she asked, throwing the sheets off her and got out of bed.

Tyler's eyes grew wide at what River said. Worried, Reid walked to where Caleb lay asleep in the other bed. "Caleb, wake up."

The eldest Son of Ipswich woke with a start, noticing all of his friends in the room with worried looks on their faces. "What's going on?" He looked at each person in the room and became aware that someone was missing. "Where's Paige?"

"We can't find her," Reid spoke quietly. "And apparently they can't reach her because she's unconscious."

* * *

Paige's eyelids fluttered open. She sat in a dark room that was not familiar to her. The only light source came from a small creak in the door. She tried to stand but a sharp pain stabbed at her wrists and ankles. She looked down and noticed that they were bound with rope to the chair she sat in. Her thoughts were hazy and jumbled as she fought to remember what had happened.

While absorbed in her thoughts she failed to hear footsteps as someone entered the room. "You look beautiful," a deep voice called from the other side of the room. Paige's head snapped up to see an outline of a man.

"What do you want from me?" She had no idea where she was or who this guy was. If help was to come she needed some information. For the first time since she was thirteen, Paige was thankful for the challenges and terrifying positions she and her friends had been put in. Because honestly, compared to some of the things she went through like finding her powers and dealing with Demon and his henchmen, this was really not that big of a deal. Whatever _this_ was.

Her motive now, was to find out who this guy was and where she was at.

"You know what I want," the man said as he stalked toward her slowly. She still couldn't see his face but something about his voice was familiar. The moment he stood in front of her, his hand reached to her neck though his grip did not tighten as she expected it to. Instead, his thumb caressed her soft skin gently, causing a wave of chills to wash through Paige's body.

She pulled away from him as best as she could with being restrained and squinted her eyes, trying to see her abductor's face. "Who are you?"

The man stood up straight and turned from Paige. His hand hovered over the light switch next to the closed door, then a small lamp on the desk to Paige's right switched on.

Her eyes quickly looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. She was in what looked liked a small hotel room. The bed was pushed to the edge of the room leaving a large space in the middle where Paige sat. A notepad on the desk read: Hyatt Regency Boston. _Okay, so I'm still at the hotel. _She concluded before her eyes fell on the man standing with his back to her. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a dark hoodie with the hood pulled over his head.

"Who are you?" She asked again.

Slowly, he turned around pulling his hood down as he did. A gasp of surprise came from Paige's lips as she took in the man before her. Blonde hair, blue eyes, fierce gaze. "Corey."

A smirk spread across Corey's face. "Surprise, Paige."


	26. Chapter 26

Ch. 26

Reid paced the room while Caleb stood in the corner thinking. River, Tyler and Rylee sat on the bed in silence. Every once in a while they would glance up at the pacing Reid or at each other. Pogue held a worried Blake close to him to comfort her.

Blake was just about to ask Reid to stop pacing and sit down when she felt the connection she shared with her missing friend reach her mind. Blake met the gazes of River and Rylee.

_Paige, where are you?_ Blake asked quickly and worriedly.

"Paige's conscious," Rylee informed the boys, who all jumped at the sound of her voice. Reid stopped pacing and rushed kneel in front of Rylee.

"Is she okay? Where is she? Is she hurt?" he asked in a flurry of questions. He gripped the brunette's knee forcefully from worry and relief.

Paige's calm thoughts reached them. _I'm still in the hotel but I don't know where exactly. All I know is it's dark and I'm tied to a chair. Listen, it's Corey._

"She's still in the hotel," River informed the four Sons of Ipswich. Her gaze went to Reid whose blue eyes were on her, full of worry. "Corey has her."

Reid's eyes flashed dangerously as he sprung to his feet and raced to the door but Blake's voice pulled him back. "Stop," she said firmly. "Corey is powerless against Paige. She can just teleport out of there." She focused her eyes on the wall in front of her and spoke to Paige.

_Get out of there, Paige. Now._

Paige replied with authority in her voice. _And expose us and magic? I don't think so. No, we need to do this the normal way. No magic allowed. You think I'd still be here if I wasn't afraid to be exposed? Call the cops._

Abruptly, the connection River had to the conversation was quickly broken as her vision faded and the room started to spin. She clutched at Rylee to keep herself from falling to the floor.

"River?" Caleb called to his girlfriend as he crossed the room. He knelt down in front of her and saw that her eyes were shut tightly and her breathing came in shallow gasps. "What's wrong with her?"

Before anyone could answer, River's eyes snapped open. Her face was pale and dark eyes were wide with what she had seen. "I know where they are."

"Where?" Reid asked in a tone that was nearly a growl. She didn't answer but instead sprang to her feet and raced from the room, the others quickly followed.

River pulled her cell phone from her pocket just as Pogue hit the down button for the elevator. "Who are you calling?"

"The cops," Blake answered for her.

Reid's gaze snapped to her. "Why the hell are you doing that? I'm going to blow his ass to pieces before they even get here," he said in a harsh tone.

Rylee narrowed her eyes. "You will do no such thing. Paige gave us clear instructions which were to call the cops. She doesn't want to risk exposing magic."

"My girlfriend is being held captive by some obsessed stalker! Who knows what he is doing to her right now!" Reid shouted at Rylee. "You're insane if you think I'm just going to stand by and wait while the cops do everything!"

"Reid relax," Caleb hissed at the blonde just as the elevator doors opened and he pushed Reid in behind the others. "Paige is right… we can't risk it."

In the corner, River spoke frantically into the receiver "-no this is not a prank call!" Laughter could be heard on the other line. "Listen, you son of a bitch. My friend is….Hello? Hello? You've got to be kidding me!" She pulled the phone away from her ear. "That bastard hung up on me!"

"See, they don't even care!" Reid said through his teeth. "Tell me where Paige is!"

Once again, River ignored him as the elevator doors opened up to reveal the main lobby and the front desk.

The concierge's face pulled together in annoyance as he saw the approaching teens. "Curfew was at one. Is there a reason why you are out past curfew?" he asked patronizingly.

"My friend is missing and we can't find her anywhere," Caleb explained.

"Well maybe she snuck off to a guy's room or something but that is none of my concern. What is my concern is that you all get back to your rooms. Now." the man replied before turning his back to the teens and continuing with his work.

Reid lunged for the man behind the counter but was caught around the waist by Pogue who pulled him away toward the elevators.

"Well that was a lot of help!" Reid said sarcastically. He was shaking from head to toe with rage. "Where is she, River?"

Rylee stepped forward and grabbed his face. "Reid, I know where he is but we can't just go bursting into the room. Or Paige will get hurt."

"We need to get the cops here," Tyler said. "I have an idea." He grabbed Blake's wrist as pulled her from the group.

Caleb focused on his girlfriend's pale face. "You saw something in your vision. What did you see?"

"I saw Corey," River paused and took a shaky breath. "He has a gun."

* * *

"You looked beautiful tonight. Everything about you was perfect," he said, running his fingertips over her exposed collar bone. "Expect one thing." He held up one finger and placed it over his mouth, blue eyes cold and harsh. "Would you like to know what that is?"

Paige glared at him but said nothing. He continued without a response. "The one thing that ruined the entire night was your date. Reid Garwin." He practically growled the name with hatred. "The one mistake you made was bringing him to the Prom instead of me."

"It was not a mistake," Paige retorted in a firm voice.

Corey's blue eyes locked on hers. "It was a mistake. He's no good for you. You belong with me! We belong together! Don't you see that? I love you."

"If that were true you wouldn't have kidnapped me and tied me to a chair to convince me of the fact," she said coldly. "You don't love me. Obsession doesn't mean you belong with someone."

His gaze dropped from hers. Then something happened that Paige didn't expect at all…he smiled.

"I see," he said, laughter in his voice. In one quick movement, he bent over her and grabbed a fist full of her hair. Paige cried out in surprise and panic flooded threw her as his hands went to his pants. For a terrifying moment, Paige thought he was going to force himself on her. Instead he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small hand held gun. For the first time that night she felt fear build in her chest.

Paige sucked in a breath as he waved brought the gun to eye level. His face was centimeters from hers now and his lips lingered over mouth. His mouth crashed onto hers, forcing her into a kiss. She could feel the point of the gun digging into her neck as he hands bringing her closer.

When he pulled away, Paige grunted in disgust. "I will not sit and watch you be with any other guy," he said, moving the gun so that it was to her temple. "So, if you're not going to be with me, you can't be with anyone."

Just then the fire alarm sounded loudly causing Corey to break eye contact and look over his shoulder. He lowered the gun, walked to the door and reaching for the handle. As soon as his hand touched the knob he was knocked backwards onto the floor, twitching in pain as if he had been electrocuted. The gun flew out of his hand and bounced off the wall, landing a few feet away from him.

The door flung open revealing Reid, Pogue, Caleb, Rylee and River. "Untie me!" Paige shouted. Rylee, River and Caleb rushed to her and tore at the knotted rope while Reid walked to the fallen boy. With ease, Reid lifted him off the ground and slammed him against the wall.

"How's the black eye?" Corey sneered at the blonde Son if Ipswich. Reid brought back one hand from Corey's shirt, balled it into a fist and punched him hard in the nose, knocking him out. Corey slumped to the floor.

"Stay down," Reid growled through his teeth then ran to Paige where the others were succeeding in releasing her from the many ropes that tied her to the chair. "Paige…"

Paige met her boyfriend's gaze. "I'm fine, really." She smiled reassuringly as Caleb untied the ropes that bound her wrists. "Worse has happened before."

Once free, Reid pulled Paige to his chest and kissed her forehead. "I won't ever let anything happen to you again."

River looked up to the ceiling, a look of satisfaction on her face. "Cops and fire department are on their way down. I can hear them on the stairs now."

The sound of a gun being cocked sounded from behind them. "Too bad that they won't have anyone to arrest." They turned around to see Corey standing with the gun back in his hand. Blood trickled from his clearly broken nose. "Only one was on my list tonight. Now it seems that the list has grown."

He pulled the trigger twice, and from that moment everything seemed to move in slow motion.

Pogue pulled River to the ground and shielded her body with his. Caleb grabbed Rylee by the arms and shoved her behind the bed that was next to them, leaving Caleb, Paige and Reid still standing as the bullets slowly raced towards them. Reid spun Paige away from the line of fire and held her tightly.

With pink eyes Paige peaked around her boyfriend as her arm reached out for Caleb, ready to get them out of there as soon as she made contact. But before her fingertips touched her dark haired friend, the two bullets froze in place, floating about a foot away from the remaining three standing.

"What the hell?" Corey breathed in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him. The floating frozen bullets, the glowing pink eyes of Paige, and Caleb whose usual dark brown eyes were now a solid black. The bullets dropped to the ground with two soft clinks.

"FREEZE!" a voice yelled from the doorway. Three cops stood just outside the door in the hallway with their guns pointed at Corey who still had the weapon in his hand. They moved in swiftly and took the loaded gun from the young man's hand. Even though their eye colors were back to normal, Corey's gaze was still on Caleb and Paige.

A tall dark man read him his rights as he placed handcuffs on his wrists. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law…"

Pogue helped River from the ground while Rylee stood cautiously from the floor behind the bed. The other remaining two cops quickly went to the girls and Sons. "You okay?" a fat blonde man with a moustache asked the group.

Caleb and Pogue nodded. "Yeah, Officer. We're okay." The other officer, a woman with soft green eyes and chest-nut hair, stepped forward.

"I'm Officer Kellan. You're friend's over there was waiting for up in the lobby." She pointed behind her to Tyler and Blake who were talking to another officer. "What happened here?"

Pogue began the story, making some of the parts up as he told it, saying that Paige had went to get some ice and never came back. They also told her that the hotel clerk for not believing them either. "So Tyler decided to pull the fire alarm since no one believed us."

Rylee then added that her and the others had went looking for them and found Paige by pure luck.

"Okay," Officer Kellan said. She closed the small notebook and looked at the group that now stood outside in the parking lot in front of the large hotel where they had been led. Red and blue lights flashed brightly on her face as she spoke. "We might need you to come down to the Station for some questioning Miss Elliot, so I will keep in touch."

Within Reid's embrace Paige nodded.

"Officer?" River asked as the woman turned to leave. "I called 911 and tried to report that she was missing but I believe an Officer Ramon took it as a prank."

Officer Kellan nodded. "I will personally take care of that," she said before departing. By this point half of the hotel guests were outside or peaking out their windows to see what was going on.

Angry yelling caught everyone's attention, causing their heads to turn in the direction of the noise. "They're freaks!" Corey shouted as a cop fought with him to get him in the police cruiser. "Their eyes changed colors! To black and pink!"

The cop shook his head in annoyance and finally managed to get the boy into the back seat and shut the door. Corey's eyes followed the police as he climbed into the front seat of the car then looked to where Paige and the others stood. His gaze fell on Paige who glared back at him with cold eyes. For fun, she let her blue eyes flash pink for a second causing Corey to yell and point in her direction as the cruiser pulled away with flashing lights.

"Can the drama and craziness end already?" Rylee said with a sigh. "Can't we just have normal lives for a change?"

Tyler pulled Rylee to his side and laughed lightly with her and the others as they walked back into the lobby. The clock behind the desk told them that it was nearly five in the morning. "Well, we can't ever really be normal."

"True. Okay, how about semi-normal?" Rylee offered while walking into one of the many elevators that took them to the ninth floor where their rooms were. Caleb had called his mother and she called Paige's mom, so both of them were now on their way to pick them up from the hotel.

"Semi-normal can work." Caleb agreed, giving his small friend a smile.

* * *

Monday arrived too soon and it seemed that every student at Spenser Academy knew about what had happened after Prom, though there was a variety of different stories being told.

"I heard she was tied and bound to the bed," Some people would say while others said, "Corey went all berserk and threatened to kill Paige if she didn't go out with him."

Even though both of these versions had some truth to them no one besides the girls, the Sons of Ipswich and Corey knew exactly what had happened. Thankfully not even a whisper was heard about magic.

Corey was still in jail and was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping. If found guilty at the hearing that was to be held in the next week, he would be imprisoned for up to 25 years just for attempted murder alone.

Whispering and stares were directed at the eight friends as they walked four by four down the hallway to the lunch room. "So much for a semi-normal life, huh, Ryl's?" Blake said quietly to her short haired friend.

Rylee stuck her tongue out in response and continued through the doors, hand in hand with Tyler.

"Hopefully this won't last much longer," Paige stated as she joined the others at the lunch table. "In Biology, Professor King had to stop lecture about ten different times to tell the class to stop staring at me."

"Don't worry, it'll stop soon," Caleb reassured her. "We went through the same thing when the whole Chase incident went down."

Reid grabbed Paige's hand. "Give it a few more days. People will start getting bored with this and find something new to gossip about."

"Let's hope you're right," River looked up to see more than half the people in the room staring at their table. "God, they're staring again."

Rylee let out a loud laugh as her eyes landed on Pogue. "Or maybe they're staring because Pogue has food on his face." She pointed to Pogue who, indeed had a piece of lettuce and mustard from his hamburger hanging from the side of his mouth.

Pogue wiped off his mouth quickly and laughed with the others as they laughed at him. "Glad I could entertain everyone."

* * *

By Friday the whispering, gossiping and staring seemed to simmer to almost a complete stop. Finals were rapidly approaching so peoples minds were thankfully elsewhere.

"I'd say us being the center of the gossip is fading," Tyler said as he Paige and Reid walked across campus to the dorm building together. "Only got a few stares today in Literature."

"Ty, people were staring because you were drooling on your desk when you fell asleep," Paige said, patting his shoulder.

"Hey!" River's voice called from behind them. "Wait up!" The three stopped and waited as River made her way to them. Tyler pulled off his blazer and folded it over his arm. The weather was starting to warm up considering it was nearing the end of April.

Paige grinned as she watched her best friend approach. River was holding over six books in her hands and struggling to keep them from falling to the ground. "Need some help?" Paige called. River nodded and Paige went to her and grabbed the top three books. "Why do you need so many books?"

Tyler shook his head. "Some people do something called studying, Peanut."

"Finals are next week so I'm cracking down on studying," River replied. Reid raised one eyebrow and stared at her.

"Don't you have all A's?" he asked.

"Yes but-," River started but was interrupted by a phone ringing. Paige reached into her school bag and answered it.

"Hey mom, she said into the phone. An excited high pitched voice that belonged to Kassandra caused Paige to pull the phone away from her ear. "Whoa, slow down. Say that again?" Her face lit up before hanging up the phone. "Our letters just came! Caleb and the others are already there with theirs."

Paige pulled the three behind the school building and quickly looked around. Seeing that the coast was clear she grabbed hold of them as her eyes flashed pink and disappeared with them.

Within seconds the four stood in Paige's living room. "Here!" Kassandra shoved two envelopes into her daughter's

hand. She handed the one that was addressed to River to her dark haired friend. Tyler's dad, Terrence handed his son a thick envelope as well.

The front door burst open and in ran Reid's mom, Demi waving a large white envelope in the air. "Oh!" she squealed at the sight of her son then handed it to him. He looked around to find Caleb, Pogue, Blake and Rylee already sitting down with their own letters in hand.

"Caleb you first," Pogue said nervously.

The oldest Son of Ipswich took a deep breath and broke the seal to his letter. He pulled it out and slowly read it while the others waited anxiously in silence. A grin appeared on his lips as his eyes lifted from the paper. "I got in to Harvard!"

Shouts and cheers erupted in the room. River flung her arms around her boyfriend's neck and kissed him. "Okay, your turn," he told her and silence once again fell over the room.

River smiled and pulled the paper from the envelope. Originally, she planned to attend Boston University where Paige and Reid applied but instead applied for Harvard. With shaky hands she read the letter, though only finished the first sentence before jumping up and down yelling, "I got in! I got in!"

Another round of cheers and congratulations went around the room then Caleb's mom, Evelyn persisted that the others open theirs. Tyler was the next to open his and found that he was accepted into the Boston Architectural College. Soon after, Paige and Reid opened theirs and were happy to find out that they were both accepted into Boston University. Pogue grinned madly as he held the letter up to his dad, and pointing at the first line. Like Caleb and River, he was accepted into Harvard.

"I got into Massachusetts College of Art!" Rylee shouted excitedly.

Tyler grabbed her around the waist and spun her around in circle. "I knew you'd get in!"

Tears of joy came from the parents as they watched their happy kids celebrate. "Let's take you kids out to eat for a congratulatory dinner!" Madison Simms smiled at her son and his girlfriend.

"Parents treat," Penn Parry added, clapping his son on the shoulder. "It's not everyday that you get accepted into the college's of your choice."


	27. Chapter 27

Ch. 27

"Halleluiah!" Blake cried out, throwing herself onto her bed. "Finals are over and done with! Now we only have two weeks left before we graduate! How insane is that?"

Rylee grinned at her best friend from where she sat at her desk, then turned her attention to the two people who suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Hello, you two."

Tyler stepped in front of his girlfriend and bent down to kiss her. "Hey, Baby Girl."

"Hey, yourself," she said with smile. She waved at the blue-eyed, blonde standing near the door. "Hey Reid, how'd you do your finals?"

"Pretty decent considering I didn't study or anything…" he said in a nonchalant tone, adding a shrug. "Have you seen Paige? She didn't text me back."

Blake answered for Rylee a few seconds later, using telepathy to talk to her blonde friend. "She just finished her last final exam and is on her way to the dorm building as we speak."

Reid nodded his head and pushed off the wall he leaned against. "Alright, I'm going to see if she wants to grab a bite to eat. You want me to bring anything back?" He looked around at his three friends as he backed towards the door. When they gratefully declined he turned on his heels and left to meet Paige.

"Let's go out tonight," Tyler said. "We could go out or stay here…."

Blake snorted in laughter and rolled her eyes at the couple as she stood up.

"You Tyler Simms are too much," she said, grabbing a pair of faded jeans and a gray hoodie then walked into the bathroom. A few minutes later she returned and gave Tyler and Rylee a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to meet Pogue for a movie. You guys want to come?"

The couple shared a glance, having a silent conversation with their eyes. "No, it's okay but thanks for the invite," Tyler answered for the both of them.

"Okay you two have fun." Blake opened the door, only pausing to comment once more before departing. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

* * *

The next day Blake rose from her sleep with a loud yawn that stirred Rylee in her sleep, though she did not wake. She got from bed, silently changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Dressed and wide awake she walked out of her dorm room and headed to the room next door that Paige and River shared.

"Blake?" Paige whispered in a surprised tone when she heard the dorm room door creak open. A tooth brush was in her hand and she was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a red quarter length sleeved shirt. "It's nine in the morning, shouldn't you be sleeping?" she asked quietly, trying not to wake the sleeping dark haired girl in one of the two beds that occupied the room.

Blake nodded her head. Paige was right, Blake never got up earlier then eleven in the morning unless it was for school or if she absolutely had to get up.

"Yeah, but I had a dream and I had blonde hair in it," Blake replied in an equally low voice as she slowly closed the door behind her.

Paige stared at her friend, incomprehension written all over her face. "And you woke up earlier then you normally would to tell me this?"

"Yeah, cause I couldn't wait to tell you that I had blonde hair in my dream," she retorted sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "No you tard! An idea suddenly struck me….would you be up for a little trip into town with me? I feel a need for a slight change."

"Uhh," Paige said still slightly confused. "Alright, I guess I could tag along but what exactly are you planning to change?"

Blake grinned widely and grabbed Paige's car keys from the desk to her left. "Well, if you really must know, the dream I had inspired me!"

Finally understanding where Blake was going, Paige grinned back. "You'd look so hott with blonde hair!" And with that the pair left the dorm room and excitedly made their way into town.

Three hours later, Paige and Blake stepped out of the small hair salon that was located in the heart of Ipswich and out into the warm May air.

"Okay, I'm having second thoughts," Blake said nervously as she stared at her reflection in the window of Paige's blue Mazda Rx8.

"What, Why?" Paige unlocked her car and waited until they were both in the car before continuing the conversation. "I love it and I know Pogue is going to love it even more. And besides it's a little too late to go back now."

A small smile flashed across Blake's face. "You really think he'll like it?" she asked, running her fingers through her newly blonde hair that was softly highlighted.

Paige nodded her head vigorously. "Of course he will! I mean look at you…you look hott!" Blake grinned with a new confidence radiating from her as she took a second glance at her new hair color in the mirror.

"I guess I do look pretty cute." She laughed with Paige and bit her lip as she glanced at her friend. "How do you think Reid will react to your new 'do'?"

"Well," Paige started and looked at her own reflection in the rearview mirror. Her golden blonde hair was now replaced with dark brown locks. "I think he will have to get used to it," she stated matter-of-factly as she pulled out of the parking space. "But if he doesn't like it I'm blaming you!"

While in the chair getting her hair cut, colored and highlighted, Blake managed to persuade a hesitant Paige to change her hair color as well. In the end Paige gave in and decided to go for Blake's natural hair color of dark brown, saying that it was time for a change from being a blonde her whole life.

"We flip-flopped hair colors," Blake laughed while she played with her new hair, trying to get her newly cut bangs to behave in the wind that flowed through the open window. "Ugh, stupid bangs!"

Not wanting to show off their new appearances right away, the girls sent text messages to their friends saying that they would meet them at Nicky's later that night. Paige told Blake that she could borrow some clothes from her house so she didn't have to go back to the dorms and ruin the surprise they had for the others.

Having several hours before they had to meet the gang, the two best friends decided to enjoy the day by shopping before heading back to Paige's house to get ready.

* * *

At Nicky's later that night, Caleb sat with his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders talking in her ear so he didn't have to yell over the loud music. Tyler and Rylee showed up a few minutes later with drinks, passing on the food for the night because they were still full from the large lunch they had that afternoon. Across the bar, Pogue and Reid were playing a game of one on one pool.

"When did they say they were coming again?" Tyler asked, checking the time on his phone. Next to him, Rylee shrugged.

"Paige text me twenty minutes ago and said they were on their way."

"So what's this big surprise they have for us?" Caleb wondered out loud. He had received a text from both Paige and Blake saying that they would meet them at Nicky's later that night and that they had a surprise for everyone. Pogue, Reid, Tyler, River and Rylee had also gotten the same text.

Rylee shrugged for a second time then took a sip from her drink. "Who knows what those two have done."

Caleb looked up from the table and glanced around the bar. His eyes wandered over to the entrance of the bar just as two girls walked in that he recognized but had to look twice. "I think I have a hunch of what the surprise is," he said to the table then pointed to the front of the bar.

Tyler, River and Rylee's gazes landed on the two girls that were now making their way to the table that the group occupied. "Oh my…"

"God!" River finished for a speechless Tyler.

"Hey guys!" Paige waved with enthusiasm as her and Blake finally made it to the table. "Surprise!" She spun around letting her new dyed locks fly through the air around her head.

Blake's confidence was still in check as she grinned at the shocked looks on her friend's faces. "What do you think?" she asked with just as much enthusiasm as Paige.

It took a few seconds but Caleb was the first to get over the shock. "Wow, you guys look great!" he said honestly with a smile on his face. Both girls grinned and waited silently and patiently for the others opinions.

"You both look hott!" River giggled, jumping up from her chair and hugging the girls just as Rylee said, "I love it!" Being the last to recover, Tyler took a sip from his coke and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Peanut, you look beautiful," he said to the blue-eyed girl then turned to Blake. "And Blake you look stunning! Whoa!" Tyler gave a thumbs up, approving both of the girls new looks from across the table.

"I'm glad you like it!" Blake said, sounding slightly relieved. "What do you think Pogue will say?"

River looked around her two friends and sat down while she said, "Well we will find out in just a second." Paige and Blake turned to see Pogue and Reid approaching them. A smirk was on Reid's face as he pocketed what looked like two twenty dollar bills.

When the guys got a few feet closer to her, Blake stood up straighter and plastered a grin on her face. "Hey Baby," she said causing both guys to lift their heads from their conversation.

Pogue stopped dead in his tracks. A few seconds passed before he found the ability to speak again. "What the hell did you do to your hair?" he nearly shouted as he took a step closer to his girlfriend, shock swam in his wide eyes.

The table fell silent as they watched the couple. Paige stood to the side unnoticed by her boyfriend while he too stared at Blake.

"You….you don't," Blake stuttered, her new confidence rapidly fading. Unshed tears formed in her eyes, making them glossy. "You don't like it?" Her voice was timid as she searched her boyfriend's face for the answer to her question.

Pogue stared at the girl in front of him. His once dark brown haired girlfriend now stood before him a blonde. Soft highlights weaved themselves down her layered hair that angled around her face. Side swept bangs that had not been there before fell slightly over her right eye. "You don't like it," she stated taking his silence as a bad sign and averted her eyes from his.

Taking another step forward so he stood a foot from Blake, he raised his arm and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. "No, baby, I do like it. I love it," he said reassuringly and lifted her chin so she would look at him. "You just caught me by surprise that's all."

"You promise you like it?" she asked wiping away the rest of her tears with bare arm. Pogue smiled and kissed her lips.

"I promise," He said then pulled her into a hug.

Caleb, River, Rylee and Tyler's eyes flickered to Paige and waited for Reid to catch sight of his girlfriend. All silently wondering if his reaction would be similar to Pogue's.

"Reid," Paige said, catching the blonde's attention. His blue eyes met hers before he looked her up and down. Slowly, a smirk appeared on his lips.

"You're," he paused and reached toward her, grabbing a piece of newly dyed hair between his fingers. "A brunette now. It's sexy." Relief washed over Paige as she grinned and pulled Reid to her.

"You really like it?" she asked even though his eyes and expression told her that he absolutely loved it.

Reid put his lips to her ear and whispered, "Let's get out of here." With a grin Paige turned to her friends who were now in scattered conversations and brushed her newly cut side bangs out of her eyes.

"Leaving," she informed them. "See you tomorrow!" And before they could ask where they were going, the couple raced from the table.

Blake watched her two friends walk out of Nicky's. With her confidence back in check, Blake wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck. "Seems like they have to same idea that I did." She placed a kiss on his neck, smirking against his skin. Unlike Paige and Reid, they went unnoticed as they snuck out of the bar and headed to Pogue's yellow Ducati that sat in the parking lot. The weather was finally warm enough to ride without a winter jacket.

A few minutes later River looked around for Blake, wanting to ask why she randomly decided to go blonde. "Hey, where'd everyone go?" she asked noticing that two more of here friends were missing.

With a grin Tyler said, "Blake probably wanted to test out and see if blonde's really do have more fun." He snickered to himself. Rylee, who was taking a drink of her coke, snorted with laughter and nearly choked as the liquid went down the wrong pipe.

River clapped her hands over her mouth, trying not to find amusement with the grossed out face that Caleb had made.

* * *

"You know I really do like your new hair." Pogue spoke quietly the next morning as he stared at his girlfriend whose head rested on his bare chest. He ran his hand through her blonde hair as Blake looked up with a smile on her face.

"Good," she said then placed a soft kiss on his lips. Pogue stood, taking the sheet with him and walked from the room. He returned a few minutes later with two cereal bowls on a tray. Two glasses of orange juice sat beside them along with two spoons.

Blake grinned at her boyfriend as he set the tray down and climbed back into bed. "Aw, breakfast in bed." She kissed him once more and accepted the bowl of fruity pebbles. The couple sat in comfortable silence while they enjoyed their breakfast.

A soft buzzing sound broke the quiet atmosphere. On the nightstand, Pogue's cell phone skirted across the surface, telling him he was getting a call. He reached for it and announced that it was Caleb before answering. "Hey man, what's up?" Blake munched on her cereal as she sat watched her boyfriend talk to his best friend. She noticed that the time on the clock said it was past 11:30 am.

"Lunch? Yeah, sounds good. See ya then." With a beep he ended the conversation then lifted his gaze to Blake. But just as he opened his mouth to tell her what Caleb had said, a voice popped into her head.

_Hey! Lunch. Now. Get some clothes on!_ River's voice rang with a hard laugh at the end of the sentence causing Blake to nearly choke on her cereal from surprise.

"What?" Pogue asked when she was able to catch her breath.

"River," she explained and pointed to her temple with her index finger. "She's bossing me around."

Pogue shook his head with a smile and set his empty bowl back on the tray and took Blake's from her. "Save room for lunch, now go get dressed." He left the room with the dark gray sheet still wrapped around his waist.

"Damn. I didn't bring an extra set of clothes," Blake said to herself as she stared at the jeans and shirt that lay on the floor from the previous night. _Paige? _She used telepathy to speak with her friend.

_Yes, Blake? _Paige answered back with a clear voice.

_Can you come get me from Pogue's apartment really quick? We're meeting Caleb and River for lunch and I need fresh clothes. _"Hey Pogue, Paige is coming to get me so I can change so keep your sheet on." Blake yelled with a laugh to her boyfriend.

A few second passed then suddenly Paige stood in front of her with glowing pink eyes that quickly faded back to normal. The dark shade of her new hair color made her blue eyes stand out in great contrast. "Morning, Pogue!" she called into the other room.

"Hey, Paige." Pogue greeted as he stepped through the doorway making sure the sheet was securely fastened around his waist.

Paige eyed the Son of Ipswich and let out a low wolf whistle. "Hm. Wonder what you two did last night." She smirked then walked to her half naked friend that still sat on the bed in her underwear. With a flash of her eyes the pair disappeared from Pogue's apartment and half a second later stood in the center of her dorm room.

"Thank you." Blake looked around the room and was thankful to see that Rylee was nowhere insight. Because if she was that meant Tyler was near somewhere close, and Blake would prefer that the youngest Son of Ipswich not see her in her underwear.

Paige waited patiently for Blake to get dressed and watched her throw her newly colored hair into a ponytail. "Have fun last night?" Blake asked with a devilish grin and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Lots," Paige replied with a swift wink. Her hand wrapped around her best friend's forearm before teleporting her back to Pogue's apartment where he waited for her fully dressed and keys in hand.

"Ready?" he asked then turned to Paige while Blake nodded and grabbed her jacket from the floor next to the bed. "Paige you want to come?"

With a smile, she shook her head. "Thanks but today is a mother-daughter bonding day. You guys have fun. I'll see you later."

Blake and Pogue watched Paige's eyes go pink before she vanished into thin air. "So where to?" Blake asked as they walked toward Pogue's Ducati.

* * *

"Where's Rylee today?" Reid asked Tyler as they walked down the side walk in town. The two youngest Sons of Ipswich agreed to meet Caleb and Pogue.

"She met River and Blake at the park," he informed as they rounded the corner where they saw Pogue waiting with Caleb. The four greeted each other with nods and bumped fists before setting off in no particular direction.

"You know what," Caleb said after a few minutes of random conversation. "I been feeling different lately."

Pogue stared at his best friend, waiting for him to explain further. When he said nothing more, Tyler questioned him. "How do you mean?"

The oldest Son of Ipswich glanced around, making sure no one was within ear shot before speaking. "Okay, you know when we normally Use, you can sort of feel the….pull? Like you can feel your energy and life being taken from you, even if it's a little bit?" He looked at his four friends in turn. When they each gave some sign of understanding he continued. "Well recently, I've noticed that I haven't felt that pull when I Use. I know I barely Use anyways, but when I do I don't feel it anymore..."

A few moments passed while the group took in the information. "I've noticed the same thing for a while now too," Pogue spoke low as an older women walked past them.

Reid's eyebrows pulled together. "I still feel the pull when I Use."

"Nothing's changed for me either," Tyler said with a shrug.

Caleb ran a hand over his face, though not in worry but confusion. "Maybe it's nothing." The conversation was forcefully pushed to the back of his mind where it lingered but not unforgotten.

Thinking nothing more of it, Tyler led the way back to the parking lot across the street where his Hummer, Caleb's Mustang and Pogue's motorcycle were parked. Caleb had left his keys with River so she had a way to get around and leave when ever she liked with Blake and Rylee while Paige was out and about with her mom, Kassandra.

Pogue jumped on his motorcycle and quickly brought the engine to life before heading in the direction of Caleb's house where the Sons planned to hang for a bit.

Caleb climbed into the back seat of the car while Tyler and Reid bickered about who was to drive. "It's my car!" Tyler argued as Reid hopped into the drivers seat. With a scowl, Tyler to walked to the passenger side.

* * *

"Caleb?" River called into the large house from a crack in the door. She opened it fully and stepped inside, letting the door shut behind her.

Footsteps announced the arrival of Caleb's mom. Evelyn smiled widely at the sight of her son's girlfriend. She greeted the girl with a kiss on each cheek before pulling her into a warm embrace.

River smiled back, happy to see her in such good spirits. "Is Caleb home? I brought his car back." She held up the set of keys. A timer beeped in the distance and caused Evelyn to clap her hands together.

"Oh, brownies are done!" She turned and playfully raced back to the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, "Caleb's in his room!"

When she made it the top of the stairs she passed two doors then knocked on the third door that was on her left. "Come in," Caleb's voice called from the other side of the closed door just as River's turned to handle and pushed it open.

In the middle of the room stood Caleb in nothing but a pair of loose fitted dark jeans. He smiled at the sight of his girlfriend and walked to her, placing a chaste kiss upon her lips. "Hey," he said as he pulled a dark blue shirt over his wet hair and onto his muscled torso. "Have fun at the park?"

River nodded and crossed the room where his bed sat against the wall. "Yeah it was fun. How was time with the guys?"

"Good," he replied but seemed distracted as he threw the wet towel into his dirty clothes hamper. "Everything okay?"

Caleb turned and stared at her as he too crossed the room to join her on the bed where he fell onto his back, letting out a sigh. "Just thinking about something me and the guys were talking about."

"And that is?" she asked, falling down next to him but propped herself up on her elbow so she could see his face clearly.

"It's probably nothing but I just have a feeling that something is different." He spoke to her but he looked at the ceiling as if the answers were written above him.

Slightly worried now, River ran her free hand through his wet, dark hair. "You can tell me."

"I know." Caleb glanced at her with a smile. "It's not a bad thing but I don't feel the pull of energy when I Use anymore." Noticing the confusion on her face, he explained himself. "When we Use we can sort of feel the energy and life being taken from us. The more you use the bigger the pull and though I learned through my father's mistakes I still use every so often but not as much as the others…"

"Well," River paused trying to figure out his worry. "Isn't that a good thing?"

He turned his gaze on her, his face serious. "Yes but not when I don't know what caused the sudden change. Come to think of it, I noticed the change at Prom."

Realization struck River like a ton of bricks. A small gasp escaped her lips. _Prom night was the night I made my choice._

"River?" Caleb asked, his eyes on his girlfriend. While he waited for her to reply, River had an inner argument with herself. _Should I tell him of the Prophecy? No, we agreed to keep it a secret._ "River, what's wrong?" Caleb asked for the second time.

She finally decided to tell him. _He already sort of knows, anyway_, River told herself as she took a deep breath and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. "Caleb, I think there's something you should know," she paused, her dark eyes met his as she turned to face him. "Another Prophecy was made."


	28. Chapter 28

Ch. 28

Caleb sat up abruptly, his dark eyebrows pulled together. "What?"

River rubbed a hand over her face as she sat up from the bed and placed a hand on Caleb's shoulder. "On the day of New Years Eve, when Kevin and Lucy stopped by they told us of another Prophecy… one that involved you and the guys." She paused to take another breath before reciting the prophecy. "_T__he Joining Of Equals Is The Key, To Find Their Other Half, They Will Be Set Free, The Four With Powers As Great As Theirs Will End This Curse Forever And Produce An Heir. _There is a way to stop the aging process for you...and your future bloodlines."

The words floated around Caleb's head in a jumbled mess, irritation coursed through him with every word she spoke. _A way to stop the curse? _With a clenched jaw Caleb stood from the bed, shaking off River's touch as he did so. "You've know about this for over four months? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, Caleb," she said as she stood and grabbed his arm, making him turn to her. "Though it involves you, it's not necessarily about only you. The girls and I… apparently we are key to stop the aging. The first part about joining of equals speaks of our union with you and the guys. We are your equals. The rest talks about how we are your other halves or you are ours or however you want to put it."

He opened his mouth but found no words would come out. For the first time in a long time, he was speechless, unsure of what to say.

After several minutes of silence between the couple, Caleb spoke. "So…you, Paige, Blake and Rylee can….can stop us from rapidly aging?" River nodded her head. "I'm still a bit confused…how can you stop the curse?"

River laughed once and brought her gaze to his, understanding his confusion. "Trust me I was as confused as you were when Lucy explained it to us. The first part, when it speaks of equals halves and four with powers, it speaks of us, our union. Us being with you slows down the aging process. Once one of us has fully committed ourselves it slows it even more, almost to a complete stop."

Caleb nodded his head, trying to get all the information in order. "So you can stop the aging and end the curse for us… and for our sons as well?"

"The only way to completely and totally rid the curse for you and your future bloodlines is for your equal half to produce an heir. And since I am your equal half, the curse will only end when I have your kids, " she said with a nervous laugh. Though she loved Caleb with all she had and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, the topic of kids was an awkward conversation this early in a relationship. "But when that time comes the rapid aging, any of the consequences that you get when Using will no longer be."

"What did you say?" Caleb asked, a smile tugged at the edge of his lips. His dark eyes stared intently at her while his heart beat at an uneven pace.

Confused at his reaction she repeated herself. "I said the curse will end for the future Sons of Ipswich as well as you."

"No, you said 'when I have your kids'." The smile now set firmly on his lips as he watched a soft blush brush his girlfriends cheeks.

"Oh, um, well," River cleared her throat, finding that she could speak full sentences again. "I am committed to you Caleb and I want to be with you forever," she said with such confidence that she surprised even herself.

Caleb rested his palm against her cheek and spoke with equal confidence. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you River Daniels." He glanced down at her lips and kissed her passionately. When the couple broke apart, River leaned her forehead against his, breathing as he spoke. "I will marry you someday."

"I can't wait for that day," she whispered gently. The love from their hearts shown from their eyes as they gazed at each other.

A sudden thought struck the eldest Son of Ipswich. "Why do Tyler and Reid still feel the pull when they Use?"

River bit her lip as she thought. "Paige and Rylee haven't made their decisions yet," she said more to herself then to Caleb. "I made my choice and I'm guessing Blake did as well since Pogue doesn't feel the pull anymore either. You can't tell Reid or Tyler about this. The reason we didn't tell you in the first place was because Kevin and Lucy wanted us to make our own choice and not be influenced by anyone, even though we knew none of you guys would try to do so."

"But what if Rylee and Paige don't choose the same path that you and Blake have?" Caleb questioned, thinking of his two brothers. "What if Tyler and Reid get stuck with the curse forever and pass it down to their Sons and so on? There's a chance to stop that and I don't think it's fair that they don't have a say in this."

"There's more to it than just saying 'I want to be with you forever'. It's felt, it's like a trigger of the heart. You can't force them to be together if they don't want to be in the end of all this," River countered. "Though I couldn't see them not ending up together. Please, promise me you won't tell Tyler or Reid about the prophecy. At least don't mention it until the girls choose."

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly. "I promise, but can I at least tell Pogue?"

River laughed and rolled her eyes. "Sure. But make sure he doesn't tell them either."

Caleb pulled her into a tight embrace and the couple held each other. "I love you."

She smiled against his chest. _That went better then I thought it would, _she thought to herself with relief. "I love you too."

* * *

It was a strange feeling….knowing that the curse was gone but only for two of the four Sons of Ipswich.

"So it's gone forever?" Pogue smiled at the idea of no longer having consequences when Using, no longer having to deal with the fear of aging too fast or passing the curse to his son.

After his talk with River, Caleb had called Pogue and told him that they needed to talk. Within the hour after Caleb had arrived at his friend's apartment, he told him everything that River had said. He told him of the Prophecy and explained what it meant.

"Paige and Rylee still have to make their choice and there's a chance that they might not choose to be with them like Blake and River chose to be with us," Caleb explained to Pogue who shook his head at his dark haired friend.

"Man, you know those girls are head over heels for Reid and Ty," he said with laugh. "It's just a matter of time before they make their final decision."

Caleb shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we'll see. But you can't tell them about it. Paige and Rylee don't know that we know. River is talking to Blake as we speak."

At the mention of his girlfriend, Pogue beamed. "As gay as this sounds, I knew she was the one. I want to spend the rest of my life with that girl."

With a grin, Caleb stood. "I know what you mean, I feel the same way about River. I….I told her I was going to marry her someday."

Pogue sat up straighter but grinned at his best friend. "Dude, I plan on marrying Blake one day too. And I think Tyler and Reid would say the same thing about Rylee and Paige."

"Let's hope the girls feel the same way about them," Caleb said quietly. The thought of watching Tyler and Reid deal with the curse while he and Pogue went by without any repercussions made him cringe. As grateful as he was that there was a finally a cure to the curse, he would rather deal with it unless all of his brothers were free from it as well.

"Like I said before," Pogue stood and walked Caleb to the door. "It's only a matter of time."

* * *

"Reid Garwin you are such an ass!" Paige laughed as she wrung out her soaking wet shirt. While watering the outside plants for mother, Reid had snuck up on Paige with the goal of scaring her. He managed to do so and also achieved in stealing the water hose, therefore starting a huge water fight. Though Paige won in the end by teleporting Reid away from the hose and taking it back.

"Hey at least you're not drenched from head to toe, Miss Elliot," he replied as he lifted his shirt over his head, revealing his toned, lean torso. Tiny water droplets dripped from his shaggy, nearly white blonde hair and onto his skin.

Paige bit her lip as she stared at him. "You are so sexy." She grinned at him while she crossed the room to stand in front of him. Her heart sped up as his arms snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against him and placed a kiss on her neck. "I thought I was an ass," he breathed against her skin, sending chills down her spine.

"You're a sexy ass," Paige rephrased with a smirk as Reid leaned down to capture her lips.

Someone cleared their throat in the doorway causing the couple to break apart and look in the direction of the sound. To their left stood Kassandra. "Hello," She said with a knowing smile.

"Hey mom," Paige said slightly embarrassed that her mother had caught her making out with her boyfriend.

Kassandra walked further into the kitchen as she addressed her daughter. "I'm going to the store, do you want anything in particular?"

"Blake's keeps bugging me for some Reese Cups," Paige laughed, pulling a strand of damp dark hair behind her ear. "I can ask the girls real quick what they want if you like?" she offered, ready to use telepathy to talk with her friends.

"It's okay, I will just ask them the normal way," Kassandra grabbed her keys from the counter, along with her purse. "I will use a phone."

Reid barked out a laugh as Kassandra walked out the door. When she was out of earshot he turned to his girlfriend. "Your mom totally just caught us making out."

An hour later the couple sat on Paige's bed playing of a game of Truth or Dare.

Paige thought back to the night she first admitted she liked Reid while playing the same game and grinned to herself before asking, "Truth or Dare?"

"Both," Reid said with a smirk. Paige laughed and thought of a Dare. "I dare you to kiss me." Reid rolled his eyes. "That's not really a dare, Paige." When Paige puckered her lips he chuckled and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss upon them.

Once they pulled apart she held a hand to his mouth, stopping his advances for second kiss. "Okay now for the truth…" Paige paused, staring into her boyfriend's blue eyes. "How much do you love me?"

Reid put a hand to his chin and lightly tapped as he thought. "Eh," he said with a shrug. Paige playfully glared and went to hit his arm but was stopped and pulled closer so she sat a foot from Reid's face. He put one hand on her cheek and placed the other along the arch of her neck. A genuine smile flashed across his face as he looked at his girlfriend. "No words can describe how much I love you." He kissed her nose before speaking again. "You are the first and only girl to take my heart, and from now on…it's yours."

Paige's heart skipped a few beats in excitement and surprise. Sitting where she was now, looking at the man in front of her she realized just how much she loved him. Even the thought about being with anyone else other then Reid made her unsteady. Something inside of Paige seemed to explode as so many emotions rushed through her small frame; happiness, joy, but mostly love, a sense of devotion.

"I love you, Garwin," she said curling up onto his lap, holding herself closer to him. "And I will love you for all of my life. I am yours forever." With a smile, she knew she had chosen her path and had saved Reid from a life time of struggling with the curse.

"You know," Paige started, "You're better at this boyfriend thing then you give yourself credit for."

"Kids!" Kassandra's voice floated up the stairs and into Paige's room. "It's nearly 11 o'clock, you have school tomorrow. Shouldn't you get back to the dorms?"

Reid grumbled, angry that the weekend had gone by so fast. He got up from the bed and followed Paige down the stairs and to the foyer where Kassandra stood. Paige gave her mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek and waited as Reid did the same.

"Be careful driving," Kassandra called to the couple from the doorway.

Fifteen minutes later, Paige pulled her blue Mazda Rx8 into one of the many parking spaces in Spenser's student lot. "Good night." Reid kissed his girlfriend's lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She replied and kissed him once more then watched him walk until he disappeared around the corner.

* * *

The next morning River rose to the sound of a hair dryer blowing in the connecting bathroom. "Morning," she called to her roommate once the noise stopped.

Paige poked her head into the room. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I wake you?" She walked into the room, running a brush through her hair.

River looked at the clock that sat on the nightstand next to her bed. "No, I need to get up anyway." After rolling out of bed, she grabbed a pair of jeans from her closet and a shirt from the dresser. "I really don't understand the point of going to class. I mean finals are over, graduation is in two weeks, and we are doing absolutely nothing in class."

"Well, at least we don't have to wear our uniforms anymore." Paige gestured to her own pair of jeans and a baby pink tank top with a light weight jacket over it.

There was a rap on the door before it opened widely, revealing Blake and Rylee.

"Good morning!" Rylee sang happily, standing in a red thin strapped dress that fell just above her knees, a light denim jacket hung over her arms. Beside her Blake stood wearing a pair of khaki Capri's with a brown long sleeved shirt that was pushed to her elbows.

"Ready to go do nothing in class?" Blake offered with a smile, holding the door open for her friends.

"Wait," Paige stepped forward and ushered the girls further into the room before closing the door. "I have something to tell you."

Blake sat down on the bed, wondering what she had to say. "What is it?"

"Okay so you remember the Prophecy, right? About the Sons and us?" Paige asked. Blake and River shared a glance, Rylee nodded. "Well, I chose my path." She smiled to herself as looked at each friend in turn. "I chose to be with Reid."

Blake grinned happily. "I could have told you that would happen eventually." She stood and patted Paige on the cheek. "I chose Pogue. And River chose Caleb too." She didn't mention the fact that Caleb and Pogue knew of the prophecy. That would wait for another discussion where Rylee wasn't present.

Rylee shifted uncomfortably as all three of her friends turned to her. "I still haven't decided." She stood and walked to the door putting on a fake smile as she did.

Blake linked an arm with her short haired friend. "That's okay," she said as the four of them walked down the hallway and out of the dorm building. "You don't need to decide just yet, so no pressure." Rylee smiled at her friends, thankful that they did not press the matter further.

Once they made their way into the school building, they walked to a small group of guys congregated next to a set of lockers.

"Hey, ladies." Tyler greeted the approaching girls. Blake, River and Paige waved hello then stood next to their boyfriends whom they greeted with a kiss. Rylee stood on her toes and placed a sweet kiss on Tyler's lips.

"You guys ready to do nothing in class today?" Pogue asked, wrapping a muscled arm around Blake's waist. She laughed beside him saying that she had said the exact same thing earlier.

The bell rung, signaling the start of classes. The freshman and sophomores quickly bustled to their classes while the upper classmen dawdled down the hallways. Blake and Caleb headed off to their English class and Paige and River walked to their Math class. Heading the opposite direction were Reid, Tyler, Rylee and Pogue.

"See ya at lunch." Pogue called to the others.

By three in the afternoon, the school day was over and the students of Spenser Academy walked into the warm late spring air. "You guys want to come back and hang out at my place?" Caleb asked, grabbing River's hand in his. The gang agreed, so Reid and Blake climbed into Paige's car while the others piled into Caleb's Mustang and Tyler's Hummer.

At Caleb's house Pogue led the way into the large estate, greeting Evelyn with a kiss on the cheek when he entered the living room where she sat. "Are you hungry?" she asked, offering to make some snacks. The teenagers declined her offer and made their way outside into the back yard.

Reid, Blake, Pogue and Rylee took a seat at the patio table and Paige went to sit on her boyfriends lap. Tyler sat down on a bench next to the table and placed a hand on Rylee's leg.

"Let's play a game." River grinned from next to Caleb who gave her a questioning look.

"What kind of game?" he asked, looking around at his large backyard. A small pond lay in the middle of the yard lined with a few spruce trees. At the very end of the property was a small wooded area that separated his yard from the neighbors.

River faced her boyfriend but took a step back so she was just out of arms reach. "Let's play," she looked around at her friends and smiled at Caleb. "Tag. You're it!" She took a running leap from the patio deck, landing on her feet before jetting past the small pond.

Laughter sounded behind her in the distance and she took a chance to glance back where her friends but noticed someone was missing. River stopped running and scanned the yard for a tall, dark haired man. Her eyes flashed lime green as she listened intently for footsteps.

A quiet chuckle came from her left then a twig snapped. River closed her eyes, pretending she didn't her him and listened to him approach. Just as he was several feet from her, she spun to face him and smirked. "Nice try."

Caleb's scowled at his girlfriend, noticing her glowing green eyes. "You cheated!"

River laughed out loud and took of running with Caleb right on her heels.

Reid, Pogue, Rylee, and Blake laughed as they watched River run from Caleb. Paige grinned when she saw Caleb's eyes flash black as he disappeared. River skidded to a halt after sensing he was gone but before she could do anything he appeared in front of her, grabbing her arm. "Tag, you're it!"

Tyler saw his friends midnight black eyes and a tiny wave of irritation washed over him. _Caleb would have skinned me alive if I Used for something so little. What's gotten into him? _

"Who's cheating now?" River stated as Caleb took off running in the opposite direction. Instead of going after him, she turned to her friends that were still sitting on the porch. "Better start running."

Tyler's irritation was erased immediately as River stalked towards the deck were he sat. The six friends looked at each other then all at once jumped up and scattered across the yard. River raced after Blake who was closest to her and caught her within a minute of chasing her. "You're it!"

Blake allowed River a few seconds to get away before running around, trying to find someone to tag. She spotted Paige lurking near the spruce trees by the pond but thought better then to chase her, knowing that she had an advantage with her power of teleportation. Tyler was with her so Blake knew she couldn't go after him either because he was under the protection of Paige and her power.

In the corner of the yard stood her boyfriend with his back turned to her for the moment. As quickly and quietly as she could, Blake made her way to him. A smile came across her lips as she neared him and sprang towards him. He turned around just in time to catch her, his face contorted in surprise. "Ah!"

"Got you!" Kissing him before she ran from him, giggling like crazy.

An hour later Paige, Caleb, Pogue, Blake, Reid and River tumbled into the living room in a hysteria of laughter. Rylee bit her lip, trying her hardest not to laugh at her boyfriend who had just entered the room.

Tyler stopped in the doorway with a sour look on his face making the group of teens laugh even harder. He was soaked from head to toe and his hair was matted to his head.

While playing tag and after Pogue had gotten tagged by Blake he saw Tyler and Paige by the pond. He took a running start at the pair of them but Paige spotted him before he was close enough and disappeared, leaving Tyler to fend for himself. Tyler didn't have time to run and was tackled through the spruce trees and was knocked into the small body of water.

A small laugh escaped Rylee's lips. "I'm sorry," she said when Tyler glared at her. "But seriously you know that was hilarious."

The blue eyed boy cracked a smile and shrugged. "Okay fine, I guess it was sort of funny."

"Dude, my bad," was all Pogue managed to say as he laughed. Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Well I better go change. I'm getting a little uncomfortable." He gave Rylee a kiss then grabbed his keys from the table near the front door. "I'll see you guys at later at Nicky's."

* * *

Back at the dorms, River pointed to her hair that was pulled into a high ponytail. "How's this? That's cute," she added, looking at Paige's light blue graphic tee.

"Thanks," Paige smiled, finishing the last touches of her makeup. "And I like your hair like that."

_We are leaving with Pogue and Tyler see you girls there, _Blake's voice rang in the two girls heads making River roll her eyes. "Man, she can be so impatient sometimes."

Paige nodded her head and changed the subject. "So, Caleb said he wants to marry you, huh?" She grinned as she watched her friends face go slightly pink. "I take that as a yes."

"Who told you?" River asked curiously as she grabbed her purse from the desk by the door and followed Paige out of the room.

"Caleb did." Paige walked with her down the set of stairs and out to the parking lot where Reid and Caleb waited patiently. Their previous conversation drifted into random things as they approached the two guys. Together the four of them climbed into Caleb's Mustang and headed off to Nicky's.

Minutes later they walked into the crowded bar, happy with the environment that surrounded them. Reid led Paige and the others to the back of the bar where they spotted Tyler, Pogue, Blake and Rylee. As the four got closer Rylee stood and pointed to Reid. "I challenge you to a duel!"

Reid raised one eyebrow. "Is that your way of saying you want a game of pool?"

Rylee nodded and grabbed his arm, pulling him in the direction of the pool tables. Luckily, Aaron and the boys weren't there to start trouble. Nicky had given them a temporary suspension from the bar after trying to pick a fight with Reid and Tyler after accusing them of cheating in a game of pool.

Rylee looked back to the table, caught Tyler's eyes and waved him over. Tyler winked at her and grabbed his drink before joining his best friend and girlfriend.

As she watched the game from afar, Paige noticed the way Tyler and Rylee interacted. Every smile Tyler gave his girlfriend showed how much he loved her. His eyes lit up with every kiss they shared. Paige noted the way that Rylee's eyes sparkled every time she looked at him but something was set along side of that twinkle that she did not seem to recognize.

"Paige?" someone called to her, bringing her eyes away from her young friend. She turned to see the whole table looking at her.

"Sorry," Paige apologized with a smile and shook her head. "I was daydreaming."

Across the room Tyler gave Rylee a congratulatory kiss.

"Damn, Brooks. I think it's safe to say that you're one of the best players, I know," Reid said, complimenting the girl in the arms of the youngest Son of Ipswich. Rylee gave him a look. "Okay, fine you're _the_ best pool player I know."

Rylee smirked and winked at the blonde. "Bet your ass I'm the best." Next to her Tyler grinned and placed a kiss on her temple then walked with her back to the table where the others sat. Reid went to the bar and came back with a drink in hand.

"Can you guys believe we have less then two weeks of school left before we graduate?" Paige said in disbelief but excitement was in her voice. "Then it's off to college!"

Pogue grinned from beside her. "College," he sighed with a shake of his head. "It seems likes it's going by too fast.".

"Let's just get through the end of the school year," Blake pointed out fairly. "Then we can worry about college."

Since they received their acceptance letters the group didn't talk about what was to happen when the start of the semester came. Caleb and Pogue have always talked about rooming together at Harvard but that was before the girls came along. Both of their girlfriends were accepted into the same school. In secret, the two Sons talked about asking their girlfriends to get an apartment off campus somewhere.

Shoving the matter to the back of their minds once again, Caleb stared at his girlfriend.

"What?" she asked after realizing he was staring.

He smiled but shook his head. "Nothing." River returned the smile before continuing her conversation with Reid and Blake.

Rylee's voice entered River's conscious. _River and Caleb sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…_ it faded into an resonance of a hum as she continued the song. River glanced at her friend and rolled her eyes.

_So what? _She replied with a grin.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Graduation day was approaching faster than the senior class would have expected. Caps and gowns had been given out that day during lunch and invitations for graduation parties were being handed out left and right.

"What number is that?" Blake asked, pointing to a small envelope in Reid's hands.

"I lost count at number twenty-eight," he replied as he threw it onto a large pile of similar looking envelopes. All throughout the school day, girls would saunter up to the Sons of Ipswich with a smile on their face. Each and every one of them pushed their girlfriends aside with unkind glare and handed the invitations over. One girl even went to the lengths as to say, "Hope to see you there, no need to bring anyone."

With a laugh, Tyler rolled his eyes, looking at his blonde friend that sat across from him. "Blake," he started, catching both her and Paige's attention. "How many invitations did you get again?"

A sly grin graced Blake's lips as she glanced at her school bag that sat on the floor. "I go a fair share."

Paige slide off the bed and onto the floor were she grabbed Blake's school bag and turned it upside down, it's contents spilling onto the floor. "Whoa!" She laughed as dozens upon dozens of envelopes littered the ground. Her blue eyes shot up to meet her friends gaze. "Uh, quite Miss Popular, aren't we?"

"Oh, come on like you didn't get any." Blake stood up, watching Paige put her possessions away.

"I got some, quite a lot actually. But not that many," she replied as she stood from the floor and walked to her boyfriend who watched her with a smirk on his face. "Man, if we got that many I'm scared to see how much our little Prom Queen got."

Blake grinned and flipped her blonde locks over her shoulder. "Well, I promised Pogue I'd pick him up from the Shop. Once again his motorcycle is the number one priority."

The other three bid their farewells as she shut the door behind her. Reid snaked his hands around Paige's stomach, pulling her into his embrace and placed a light kiss on her neck. She giggled in return, her face brightening up as he whispered unknown words into her ear.

For the second time Tyler rolled his eyes and quickly sat up from the bed. "I'm out of here." He grabbed the keys to his Hummer and left the room.

A smirk flashed over Paige's face as she spun in her boyfriends arms. Reid brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes before bringing his lips to hers in a kiss. "Now we are alone."

* * *

Later that night the group agreed to pile into Blake and Rylee's dorm room for a movie night. Three movies sat on the TV stand; popcorn and candy were scattered among the teens.

On one bed Blake was curled up next to Pogue, her head rested on his chest while his hand ran absentmindedly through her hair. The opposite bed occupied Tyler and Rylee who laid on their stomachs, facing the TV. Reid sat on the floor with his back against the bed, Paige sat between his legs leaning against his chest. Caleb and River mirrored them, though on the other side of the room nearest to the door.

"Movie! Movie! Movie!" Rylee chanted from next to her boyfriend. Blake grabbed the remote from the night stand next to her bed and pressed the play button.

Just as the opening credits appeared on the screen Paige turned to Rylee. "Lights." Knowing what she meant her, eyes flashed a golden-yellow, but before she reached for her power the lights switched off.

"Hey, who did that?" Rylee whined, her lip jutting out. It had been a while since she had used her powers and was excited to get the chance to do so….even with such a small thing as the turning off the lights.

"Me." Reid smirked, turning around to face the young girl. Rylee squinted, noticing that his usual icy blue eyes were now the shade of a dark onyx. Tyler's eyes flicked to Caleb, waiting for him to reprimand Reid for Using.

Tyler watched as a disproving look crossed his friend's features but it was replaced with a different look just as quick as the first one come. Instead, he did the last thing that Tyler would have ever suspected him to do. He smiled. "Lazy ass," Caleb joked with Reid who smirked in return as his eyes faded back to blue.

Slightly shocked and taken aback, Tyler glanced around the room. No one seemed to think too much into Caleb's sudden lack of authority over the blonde. Paige, who would have normally smacked or at least yelled at Reid for Using, kissed his lips when he turned back around to face the TV.

_Alright, what the hell is going on? _Tyler asked himself. Caleb had always been so on point about making sure none of them Used too much or over silly little things. The only time he was lenient about it is when it was absolutely required.

His thoughts were interrupted as Rylee whispered in his ear. "You okay?" she asked, noticing his distraction. He met her blue eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied adding a fake smile and turned his head pretending to be interested in the movie that was playing. His eyes were on the screen but his mind was on other matters. _Something's going on… and I plan on finding out exactly what that is._

* * *

Rylee was talking animatedly with Tyler and was in the middle of her sentence when she realized he wasn't paying her any attention. "Hello!" She waved her hand in front of his face, breaking him from his trance-like state. "What's up with you?"

He stared down at her for a few seconds before answering. "Have you noticed how things are different lately?" He watched her face, waiting for her to comprehend what he was saying.

"No," Rylee said honestly, it was then she realized that something was seriously bothering her boyfriend. Worry laced itself around the next words she spoke. "Tyler, tell me what's wrong."

Tyler glanced around the crowded hallway where the couple waited for their next class to begin. "Last night, before the movie, Reid Used." He kept his voice low, just about a whisper.

Rylee's eyebrows pulled together, a relieved smile on her face. "Doesn't he always Use?"

"Yeah and usually Caleb yells at him for it," Tyler shifted slightly, scanning the hallways one more time. "But last night he joked about it, which isn't like him."

"Well maybe he was in a good mood or something," Rylee said just as the bell rang. She pushed off the lockers and waited for Tyler to do the same. "I mean, when we first met you guys, Caleb was kind of uptight. But since he and River started dating he seems to have loosened up."

As they walked to their classes that resided next to each other, Tyler took in her words and nodded. _She's right, I'm just being silly. _"You're right," he said out loud just as they came to Rylee's classroom.

"Aren't I always?" She grinned and placed a kiss on his cheek before walking into the room that stood behind her.

He walked into his own class just as the final bell rung. The professor waited for everyone to take their seats before lecturing the senior class about the proper behavior students should have during the upcoming graduation practice.

Tyler, who shared his class with Pogue, turned to his friend and rolled his eyes. Pogue ran a hand through his long hair and grinned.

In the back of the class, Aaron Abbott stretched out in his seat with a loud yawn, purposely trying to annoy the teacher.

"Mr. Abbott, I would appreciate if you didn't nap in my class," the professor said, not even needing to turn from the board to identify the source of the interruption.

The cocky boy flipped off his teacher, causing an obnoxious giggle to escape the red haired girl next to him. "And Miss Snyder, I hope Mr. Abbott's antics were worth a detention. Both of you, tomorrow after school."

This caused Aaron to scoff in anger while Kira glared at the back of her teacher's head in distain. Snickers of approval were heard around the classroom, pleased to see the pair unhappy. Professor Monte acted as if he didn't hear the noise and continued on with writing down certain things to remember for the next day.

When the bell rung at the end of the period, Aaron and Kira jumped up from their desks and marched dramatically from the room, pushing past Reid who happened to be in their way. He glared after them with distaste before turning to his friends who appeared next to him and greeted them with a nod.

Caleb joined his three friends as they walked to their last class of the day. "Hey," he said as the four turned into the second door on their left. "The girls are going out tonight to look for Graduation outfits or something…you guys up for hanging out?"

Pogue agreed with a nod. "It's been a while since it's been boys night."

"I'm down," Reid said, adjusting his fingerless gloves. Tyler took his usual seat next to his best friend and also agreed.

"River said my mom and Kassandra are going with them to help so if you guys want to hang there, we can," Caleb offered as students slowly piled in the large classroom. The others agreed to meet up at the Danvers Estate after school since the girls were planning on meeting Evelyn and Kassandra there anyways.

Almost an hour later, the Sons of Ipswich walked out the doors of the prestige school and into the warm rarity that the sun gave. Usually Ipswich weather was rainy and cloudy, the rays of the sun happened only so often but the people of the small town weren't going to complain.

Paige was leaning up against her car when the guys approached. Her head was back, her face towards the sky with closed eyes. A smile was on her face. Next to her, Rylee and River were laughing about something the other two girls did not hear. Blake grinned when she saw her boyfriend and friends. "Hey guys!"

She quickly strolled up to Pogue and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her lips to his. Caleb greeted River with a kiss on the cheek as to not interrupt her conversation.

"You girls ready?" Reid asked Paige once her blue eyes were on him. She pulled her hair behind her ear, taking the keys from her school bag and unlocking her car. The four girls piled into Paige's car while the boys spilt up; Pogue and Caleb in the Mustang and Reid and Tyler in the Hummer.

Less then ten minutes later the eight entered the doors to Caleb's house. In the living room sat three women, all whom turned their attention to the teenagers as they walked into the room. Evelyn sat in the chair nearest to the fireplace, a smile on her face as well as in her eyes.

Caleb smiled inwardly at seeing his mother so happy and so alive. "Hey, mom." A kiss was placed on his cheek as he greeted her with a hug.

Kassandra smiled at her daughter and the three girls behind her who were practically her daughters as well. The four girls sat down next to her on the couch.

In the chair opposite Evelyn sat Reid's mother, Demi. Her icy blue eyes and nearly white blonde hair almost identical to her sons appearance.

"I thought it would be nice if all the mother's came into town," Kassandra explained gesturing to Demi with a delicate hand. "Though unfortunately Madison couldn't join us as she has to work."

Tyler nodded his head. His mother would always work late on certain days of the week.

Demi stood and smiled at the girls in eager anticipation. "Ready for an evening of shopping?" The girls nodded and stood just as she did. "I also have a special treat for you."

Slightly curious the girls eyed the older women who all had grins on their faces. "Alright, what's going on?" Blake asked.

Evelyn put a finger to her lips, pretending to zip them and throw away an invisible key. Everyone laughed and the Sons watched their girlfriends being ushered from the room by the Covenant mothers. Unable to say goodbye properly the girls waved to their boyfriends, blowing air kisses.

"Bye boys!" Kassandra called from the passengers seat of Demi's sleek, silver Jaguar. Blake and Rylee waved from the back seat. Paige drove her Mazda Rx8 behind them with Evelyn and River in the car with her.

As the two cars exited the gated driveway, Caleb turned to his Covenant brothers. "I don't think mom has ever been that excited." He grinned thinking about the large smile that seemed to be glued on his mothers face lately.

"Why are chicks so weird about shopping?" Reid asked with a shake of his head. He didn't understand the excitement about walking around, going into dozens of different clothing stores and trying on a large variety of clothes.

A small frown fell on the youngest Sons face. "I wonder what the special treat is," he said as the four walked back into the living room where he plopped down onto the couch. "We never got special treats."

Pogue chuckled lightly. "Ever since we can remember the Covenant have always had males," he explained, flipping on the large television that sat in the room. "I remember my mom always wanted a little sister for me. But since only one could receive the power, in was only necessary for one child to be born. A male."

"Huh." Tyler glanced around at the room. "So they are pretty excited about having four girls around now."

Caleb nodded in agreement and walked from the room, returning seconds later with four beer cans. "Since the girls get a special treat, so do we."

* * *

"Thank you so much, Demi!" Paige wrapped her arms around the woman and hugged her tightly.

With a grin, Demi waved away the thanks with her hand. "Oh, nonsense. It's the least I could do for making my son so happy," she replied, making Paige blush slightly.

Rylee, Blake and River bounded out of the door to their right, large smiles on their faces. "Demi, you're an angel!" River praised as Evelyn linked arms with her. "All of you are, thank you so much. That was amazing!"

"Well, just call it a graduation presents from the Covenant mothers…plus one." Evelyn pointed to Kassandra and winked.

After three long, joyful hours of shopping, Demi announced that it was time for their special treat. She pulled out four brochure's and handed one to each girl. On the front cover of the folded paper read: _Ipswich Spa & Salon._ Excited giggles came from the girls as they read over them.

The sun had already set, throwing the seven ladies into a sea of dim darkness. The only light that guided them back to the parking lot where their cars waited, were evenly scattered streetlamps. "Oh look at the time. It's nearly ten!" Demi confirmed as the glowing numbers shined from the dash board. "Better get you girls back to the dorms."

"Oh crap, I left my school bag at the house." Rylee realized just as they pulled away from the small town and back to the Danvers Estate.

Once both cars were parked and ignitions were shut off, the girls followed Evelyn, Demi and Kassandra into the large mansion. "Hello? Boys?" Evelyn called, but no reply came.

Kassandra side stepped and peaked her head into the living room. "Oh," came her soft voice, motioning to the others as she pointed into the room.

Seven loving smiles raised their lips as they stared at the scene before them. Tyler lay fast asleep on one couch with his feet hanging off the front of the furniture. Near his feet sat Pogue with his head lolled back and his mouth slightly open in a deep slumber. Caleb stirred in his sleep, moving his head from one side to the other before settling down with a deep breath. On the opposite couch was Reid with his chin resting lightly on his chest, his breathing was even as he dreamed.

"Oh, bless their hearts," Demi cooed softly as she watched her son lovingly in his sleep. Quietly as she could Evelyn whispered. "Should we wake them?"

Paige shook her head as she stared at her childhood friends. "No," She walked further into the room, to wear Caleb sat in the plush chair. "Don't wake them, I can teleport them." Her blue eyes flashed before changing color and turning the glowing light shade of pink. She brought her hand to her oldest friends shoulder and teleported him to his room one floor up.

She returned half a minute later. "You guys can go ahead, I'll take care of them and meet you back at the dorms." Paige tossed her car keys to Blake who caught them in mid air. After saying their goodbyes to Kassandra, Demi and Evelyn, the girls took one last look at their slumbering boyfriends then departed.

Next, Paige walked to Pogue and placed her hand on his shoulder as she did with Caleb and disappeared from the room.

When she came back for the third Son, Kassandra hugged her daughter then walked to Demi who waited to take her home. Demi waved to the young girl before shutting the door silently behind her.

A low snore came from the youngest Son of Ipswich, almost causing Paige to laugh but she covered her mouth to stop the urge. She teleported him to his dorm room that he shared with Reid and pulled the blankets up over him before heading back to the Mansion for Reid.

"Goodnight," Evelyn whispered to Paige as she reappeared in the living room. Paige smiled in thanks for the wonderful day she had and watched the dark haired women climb the stairs.

Paige turned and touched her boyfriend's arm, allowing her eyes to flash pink once more. The next second she stood next to Reid's bed with him laying peacefully on the mattress. Like she did with the others, she pulled the comforter up around Reid. She smiled as she watched him in his sleep and brought a hand to his face, pushing the blonde hair out of his eyes and placed a tender kiss on his forehead.

Her pink eyes flashed one last time as she teleported herself to her own dorm room.

"Did you get everyone tucked in?" River asked with a grin as she climbed into her bed, now in her pajamas.

"Of course," she replied while pulling off her clothes and replacing them with her own pajamas. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," River said through a yawn.

* * *

The next morning Rylee rolled out of bed, hitting the alarm clock when her feet hit the ground. Her arms stretched over her head and a yawn escaped her as Blake's eyes landed on her.

"Good morning," she said to her older friend before getting up to splash her face with cold water.

It was then that Blake realized that Graduation was two days away and that today was the seniors last day of classes. She sighed and closed her eyes, not able to believe that high school coming to a rapid end.

A knock on the door caused her to open her eyes. She heard Rylee's heavy footsteps and the door open. "Rise and Shine!" came Paige's fully awake voice as she bounced into the small room.

Blake groaned to herself and threw a pillow over her face, reluctant to get up. Two pairs of hands gripped the covers

and ripped them off the end of the bed. A groan of annoyance passed her lips as she was practically forced out of bed.

"Up, Up!" Paige sang happily.

"God, I hate you in the mornings," Rylee mumbled sleepily as River stood off to the side watching in amusement. Over the past nine months or so River had grown accustom to Paige's peppy moods in the mornings.

A half an hour later the four girls joined the other students out in the courtyard. Like the previous day, the sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky causing everyone to perk up since it was such nice weather.

As the girls neared their boyfriends standing just outside of the school doors, Caleb turned to them. "You wouldn't happen to know how we ended up in our own beds last night would you?"

"I teleported you guys to your rooms," Paige said in a hushed voice before raising her voice to its normal volume. "You guys just looked so damn cute sleeping that none of us wanted to wake you."

"You guys were like serene little angels in a peacefully slumber," River teased, pinching Tyler's cheeks.

Pogue rolled her eyes as Blake's fingers intertwined with his. "It's strange that today is pretty much our last day of high school," she said as the eight of them walked into the school building.

"Very strange, almost surreal." Tyler grinned down at his girlfriend of over eight months. She smiled up at him but turned her gaze from his to say goodbye to Caleb, Blake, Paige and River.

When the lunch bell rang, students poured from their classes, making their way to the cafeteria, some for the last time.

"You know," Reid stared down at his plate of chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes and green beans. "I'm going to miss school food."

Tyler laughed. "Is Reid Garwin getting sentimental over….school food?" He received the finger in reply just as an announcement came over the intercom. The cafeteria went quite.

"_This is Provost Higgins, will the senior class please report to the gymnasium for Graduation practice." _

A loud cheer erupted throughout the room as a third of the students stood and made their way to the gym. The practice consisted of knowing where you stood among the sea of students, practicing walking, and getting an imaginary diploma handed to you.

"Was that really necessary?" Reid complained moodily as he and Tyler walked back to the dorms with the girls. Caleb drove Pogue to the Shop so he could pick up his bike.

River snorted in laughter and turned her gaze on Reid. "You'd be very surprised at just how necessary those practices can be. Remember that one girl two years ago?" she asked Blake, Rylee and Paige.

"Oh yeah!" Rylee giggled with a hand over her mouth. "Poor girl."

"What happened to her?" Tyler questioned curiously.

Blake took over in telling the story. "You see, at our school in California two practices are held because the graduating classes are so huge that it takes a few hours to get through half of the students, so it's broken up into two parts. Well this girl, I forget her name but when Graduation day arrived she found her spot and waited for her named to be called. She was never really into school and therefore didn't pay attention to the ceremony." Blake paused to take a breath. "She thought that your name gets called and you get your diploma, that's it. So when her name was called she walked to the podium, grabbed her diploma and walked away."

With a raised eyebrow Reid asked, "Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

"Well yeah," Paige answered. "But the thing is that she didn't know were to go so she panicked and ended up falling off the stage. Her gown was ripped off of her and her dress ended over her head exposing a nice little pair of grandma panties." She concluded as she stood in front of her dorm room door waiting for River to unlock it.

Reid shook his head in laughter and Tyler chuckled to himself just as Rylee pushed open the door. The six piled into the room where Reid fell onto Paige's bed with a huff. "High school is pretty much over."

From the bean bag chair, River grinned. "No more gossiping girls or immature boys, and you know what that means… no more drama!"

"I don't know," Rylee said slowly from River's bed. "Drama always seems to find us."

"Well hopefully we have outgrown that," Tyler replied and the group went silent, letting their own thoughts wonder as they thought of what was to happen after graduation and summer.

* * *

"Girls, hurry up! We still have pictures to take!" Madison called up the stairs where the four teenage girls were getting ready.

"Coming, coming," River's said from the top of the stairs. She wore a simple black dress that fell mid thigh, her hair loosely curled. Behind her Rylee stood in a black and white floral halter dress. Her short, light brown hair was pulled into a half up do.

As the first two descended, Paige and Blake took their place at the top of the stairs. Like Rylee's dress, Paige wore a halter but it was the color of a deep maroon. Her dark brown hair was straight as normal but one side was pulled off her face with a decorative clip. Blake's dress was a dark navy blue and her hair was curled and pulled up into a soft pony tail.

"Don't you girls look beautiful," Penn Parry said as they entered the room. Their boyfriends stood by the fire place getting their pictures taken by Demi. The boys messed around, posing like a boy band to entertain their parents.

Blake laughed loudly thinking back to when she told them that the Sons of Ipswich sounded like a boy band. Her laughter caught their attention. "You guys look very suave," she said. They all wore black dress pants and nice button up shirts, all different colors.

Kassandra waved the group of girls over and shooed the boys out from in front of the fire place. "Alright girls, smile for the camera!"

After group pictures, Terrance and Evelyn insisted that they get pictures of the happy couples. Reid and Paige went first, followed by River and Caleb. Pogue surprised Blake when during the pictures he dipped her. "Aw, how cute!" River gushed over her two friends.

Next, Tyler and Rylee stood in front of the fire place ready to take pictures. Tyler pulled her close to him, with her back to his chest, his arms wrapped around her small waist. She placed her hands on his and smiled at the camera as it flashed.

"Oh, one second kids I have to delete some photos," Demi held up the camera. "The memory's full."

Rylee nodded and glanced up at Tyler, noticing him staring at her. "What?" She laughed, looking around the room seeing that everyone else was in their own conversations. Tyler shrugged as he smiled, continuing to gaze at her.

In the corner of the room, Paige sat listening to Penn and Pogue talk about the graduation party that was to be head the next day. She glanced up at the couple getting their pictures taken and smiled as she watched the couple gaze into each others eyes.

As Tyler lifted his hands to Rylee's cheek, Paige saw all of the emotions that crossed the youngest Sons face. Love, first and foremost; pure joy, trust, loyalty, passion and a future shown brightly from his beautiful blue eyes.

Rylee returned the love she felt for her boyfriend, but just like the night at Nicky's, Paige saw something that weaved itself through that single emotion. It was at that moment that she realized exactly what it was: hesitation.

"Alright you two," Demi raised the camera to eye level. "A few more pictures and we are done!"

An hour later the senior class sat in front of a large audience, waiting for the ceremony to start. The Valedictorian stood at the podium in her blue cap and gown with a large smile on her face as she addressed her classmates.

Once her speech ended, she took her stance in the front row of the folding tan chairs. The first three rows rose to their feet as the Provost cleared his throat and started to call out the names.

"Abbot, Aaron."

"Arlet, Carly."

"Becklin, Bordy."

Seven more names were called, then, "Brooks, Rylee." Cheers erupted from the stands and Rylee turned her head to see a large group of people on their feet. There were two people that she did not expect to see; her mom and dad waved happily from next to Madison and Terrance Simms. Rylee grinned and gave them a swift wink then turned to walk up the few stairs. The Provost took her right hand in his and placed her diploma in her left.

"Cardie, Taylor."

"Crisp, Danielle."

"Cudis, Tami."

"Daniels, River." Once again, a section of the crowd yelled over the others and like her friend, River glanced up. Evelyn waved at her sons girlfriend with much enthusiasm. Seconds later she received her diploma then walked down the stairs to join the others that had theirs as well.

Right after her was her boyfriend. "Danvers, Caleb." His brothers whooped as Caleb was handed his own diploma. When he joined River and the other students he looked up to his mother, her dark eyes were lined with unshed tears and her hands were shaky as she held them to her mouth. He smiled reassuringly at her before waiting for other names get called.

"Doner, Karisa."

"Elliot, Paige."

Slowly, the students names were called. Reid was called and an eruption of shouts and clapping ran around the gymnasium, a smirk graced his lips. Twenty or so names were called before Pogue was called, as he walked up the stairs he gave a thumbs up and punched the air in triumph causing some to laugh.

Tyler accepted his diploma after his name dozen so or names were called and joined his friends who waited patiently as the last fourteen Seniors were called.

"Thomas, Blake," Was called up to the small stage where the Provost shook her hand and offered her his congratulations. Pogue hollered and Rylee, River and Paige screamed at the top of their lungs.

The last name was called seven minutes later. "Yuan, Amy."

Together the Senior class stood, moved the tassels to the opposite side of their caps before tossing them in the air as bursts of shouts and cheers echoed around the stone walls of the Ipswich gymnasium.

"We did it!" Paige jumped up and down with her three best friends, tears of joy practically running down her face.

A squeal of joy escaped Blake as Pogue spun her around in circles, holding her close. Tyler grinned as he watched the happy couple then turned his gaze onto his girlfriend though her attention was somewhere else. "Mom! Dad!" She cried when her parents appeared in front of her. "I thought you guys couldn't make it?"

Carl smiled down at his daughter. "If you think we would miss your graduation, you're crazy." He pulled Rylee into a hug and placed a kiss on her cheek. "We are so proud of you."

"My little girl!" Lola, her mother cried practically overzealous.

"I'm not so little anymore," Rylee said with a smile. "I'll be off to college in a few months!"

Carl's eyes flickered between his daughter and the young man who stood a few feet away talking to his parents. "Then after college, maybe consider settling down and starting a family."

"Oh!" Lola clapped her hands in excitement, her eyes on Tyler. "Grandchildren!" Rylee's face flushed as she jumped closer to her mom, placing a hand over her mouth.

Paige watched her friend from next to Reid with worry. She saw Carl glance at Tyler then Rylee's reaction to her parents statement. Once again hesitation crossed her face. _I can't believe I haven't noticed this sooner, _Paige asked herself, _but_ _what has she to be hesitant about? Especially with Tyler? _

Not knowing the answer herself, Paige made a mental note to find out just what she was hesitant about. She would talk to River and Blake about it, then tomorrow at the Graduation Part, they would talk to Rylee.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

It was two hours until the graduation party that the Covenant family were throwing for the Sons and the girls. Demi made the boys finish up last minute decorations and allowed the girls to enjoy the extra time to get ready.

Blake sat on Paige's bed with her legs crossed out in front of her, staring at the opposite wall though not really looking at it. Her mind was occupied on the upcoming conversation that her, Paige and River would have with an unsuspecting Rylee. The night before while Rylee slept soundlessly, Paige called Blake and River to the Study room…

"_Remember that night at Nicky's? The night I noticed something in Rylee's eyes?" River and Blake nodded, waiting for Paige to continue. "Well I saw it again yesterday while taking pictures and at graduation too." After a good twenty minutes of explaining her observations, Paige allowed her two friends to soak up the information. _

"_Wow," Blake let out a breath. "You know, now that you mention it I have noticed it before…I just thought nothing of it."_

"_Same here," River agreed with a nod of her head. "I don't understand her hesitation with him though. I mean, Ty is a great guy and he loves her so much. And I know Rylee absolutely adores him."_

_Paige stood from the leather couch and crossed her arms over her chest. "I know, I don't get it either." _

_After a few minutes of discussing, the three girls agreed on the approach they would use when talking to the younger girl. _

Now, in the bathroom, River played with her hair, waiting for Paige to get finished with the flat iron. When she was done, Paige handed it to the dark haired girl and walked back into the room where Rylee and Blake were.

Rylee hummed quietly to herself as she applied mascara to her long eyelashes. Occasionally her blue eyes would flick to her friends reflections in the mirror.

After a few minutes of silence, Rylee straightened and turned to face them. "Okay, you guys have been quiet for nearly a half an hour and that's not normal. What's going on?"

Blake focused her eyes on the short haired girl but said nothing. She instead turned to River who walked slowly from the bathroom, her dark eyes on Paige.

"Rylee," Paige started, her face serious, yet soft. "Can we talk to you?"

"You are talking to me," Rylee laughed jokingly but stopped abruptly when she saw that they really were serious. "Um, yeah sure."

River grabbed Rylee's hand and led her to the bed where Blake made room for everyone.

"Rylee," she said softly. "I, that is, we have noticed something about you lately…"

Rylee pulled her knees to her chest defensively, preparing for what they had to say.

"We don't know if what we've noticed means anything but…" Blake mumbled off, waiting for someone else to take over the reins of the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Rylee asked calmly, unsure of what direction her friends were heading in.

"Why are you hesitant?" River blurted out from next to Blake. The sun shined through the window as it faded behind the horizon, throwing a golden-orange glow on the four in the room. "With Tyler, I mean."

"I…I'm not…being hesitant with Tyler," Rylee stuttered out.

"I saw it in your eyes," Paige countered her statement. "This hesitation your having, does it have anything to do with the prophecy?"

"No." Her friends stared at her with raised eyebrows, knowing she was lying. Rylee heaved a sigh. "Yes."

"We aren't trying to rush you into choosing your path Ryl's but is there a reason why you haven't made a decision yet?" River asked carefully, her eyes intent on Rylee's face.

Not answering right away Rylee stood and walked away from the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. "Because I don't know if things will work out between Tyler and me."

Baffled, Paige shared a look with River. Her mouth was open slightly, just as baffled as she was. Next to her Blake eyed Rylee skeptically. "Don't you love him?"

Rylee laughed once with no humor in the sound. "Of course I love him."

"Okay, I'm confused here," Paige said pulling her hair out of her face. "You love him yet you haven't made a decision. what's stopping you?"

It was like a cork was pulled from Rylee and her emotions, feelings and thoughts rushed out of her all at once. Tears quickly formed in her eyes. "I know Tyler loves me and I love him too but what if it's not forever? What if I put my entire heart into this and in the end it gets shattered into a thousand pieces? College is starting at the end of the summer and we are both going to different schools, what if that becomes a problem? Or what if something happens and he doesn't want to be with me?"

Her words came fast and stumbled over each other as they flew from her mouth. After each 'what if ' she seemed to find another, a worse situation than the previous one. "What if I hurt him? He trusts me so much and he is so sweet and kind and generous…he is absolutely amazing. He is perfect. I would never want to disappoint him, I don't think I could stand it if I did. I'm scared to get hurt…but I'm absolutely terrified that I will somehow hurt him. I don't think I could live if I ever hurt Tyler."

She paused to breath, her speaking slowed, dropping down to almost a whisper. "The night we fought Demon, when Tyler stood before him…he almost died for me! The look on his face shattered my heart as he started to will his power away. He is so selfless. He was willing to die for me…for us, for his brothers. I'm so, so scared that I'm not good enough for him." Rylee wiped away the tears that had fallen during her rant with the back of her hand. Her blue eyes were red and watery, her breathing was interrupted by quiet, gentle sobs.

River's heart ached at seeing how vulnerable her friend looked standing before her. "Rylee, we would have done the same thing. Tyler put his life on the line for you because of how much he cares for you. How can you think that you're not good enough for him?"

Rylee shrugged her shoulders, her trembling lips shut tightly to stop the new set of tears from pouring down like the rest.

"Come here." Blake held her arms open and pulled Rylee to her when she was within reach. "I don't know your reason for this sudden low self esteem thing but you need to shake it off. You're a smart, beautiful, amazing girl and Tyler is the luckiest guy in the world to be able to call you his girlfriend. You are good enough, if not better than exactly what he deserves."

"Blake's right." Paige pulled Rylee into a hug, smoothed her hair in comfort. "Tyler loves you more than anything. Him risking his life for you is obvious to the fact and I know that he would never be disappointed in you. Prophecy or no prophecy…you and Ty are meant to be together."

"Tyler would probably whip your ass if he ever heard you say that you're not good enough for him," Blake joked, making Rylee choke on a sob as she laughed.

Once her breathing evened out, Rylee smiled and shook her head. "I'm sorry about that. That was a break down moment."

"Yes, it was," River smiled and brought a hand to her shoulder. "A silly, unnecessary one but hey, it happens to the best of us." With a wink she wiped the mascara from beneath Rylee's eyes and grinned. "Tyler is in love with you and I know you are head over heels for him as well, so honestly…forget about the 'what ifs' and take a deep breath."

Rylee obeyed, doing as she was told as Paige spoke again. "The time to make your decision will come when the time is right. It could be tomorrow or it could be five months from now. And when it does come, only you will know the right answer."

"I really don't know what I would do without you girls," said Rylee, her eyes landing on each of her friends. "I love you three."

"Aw, we love you too!" The three girls replied in unison before hugging each other, giggling as they fell over onto the mattress. At that moment a knock sounded and Kassandra pushed open the door.

"River your father just arrived." She told River, who leapt off the bed and raced from the room in excitement. Her footsteps could be heard running down the stairs then a squeal of joy echoed back to them.

"Everything okay, Rylee?" Kassandra asked, noticing her somewhat red eyes.

Rylee nodded and grinned. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Kassandra smiled then told them they needed to get downstairs because the party was to start shortly. She departed leaving the three girls alone in Paige's bedroom. "Alright, let's get you cleaned up, then it's party time!"

After fixing Rylee's makeup, Blake and Paige followed her down the stairs and to the living room where the bulk of the people were.

Penn Parry stood next to Rylee's dad, Carl, having a discussion about how they couldn't believe that their kids would soon be off to college. People littered the rooms holding large plates of food that held burgers, hot dogs, potato salad and much more. The sound of laughter filled the Paige's ears as her eyes scanned over her family, her heart swelling with joy.

"Hey Ryl's." Tyler walked up to his girlfriend and wrapped an arm around her small waist. He looked down at her, giving her a breathtaking smile. Paige and Blake waited for her reaction, their eyes locked on her face. With a sly wink to the girls, Rylee lifted her head up and placed a soft kiss on his lips, all the remnants that caused her mini breakdown vanished.

Blake gave Paige an excited smile and pulled her away from the couple. The hesitation that had rested in Rylee's eyes for a time also had vanished. _Good girl, _Blake praised.

Rylee smiled inwardly and chided herself over the main topic of the conversation she had earlier as she stared into the blue eyes of Tyler Simms. With every touch, glance or kiss showed just how much Tyler really did love her. _How could I ever doubt this?_ Now all that was left to do was wait for the right time to make her decision, she wouldn't force the moment to happen, it would happen on its own.

* * *

The graduation party ended on a high note, all the guests left with full bellies and large smiles on their faces. Many congratulations and compliments were given to the four girls and Sons as they waited by the door, thanking everyone for coming and for the gifts as well.

Once the last guest had left, only the immediate family remained in the large house.

"Oh my," Demi spoke from next to Kassandra, both of them looking at the huge mess before them. Plates upon plates were piled on top of each other with cups next to them. The streamers and graduation decorations were falling off the walls and onto the floor making an even bigger mess.

"This is going to take forever to clean," Madison said, sounding discouraged. Lola and Mary agreed with her as Blake walked to her dad's girlfriend and linked arms with her.

Paige grimaced at the large mess that they and their guests had caused. "Damn," she breathed quietly from next to her mom.

All the fathers, who stood behind the group of women, quietly snuck away to the study to enjoy a few cigars and guy time, but mainly to get out of cleaning. Penn lead the way on tiptoe closely followed by Terrance, Rylee and Blake's dad, Carl and Craig, and River's step dad, Tony.

The Sons laughed to themselves at the older men's behavior and the fact that the women didn't realize the decrease in testosterone. Pogue walked up behind Paige and whispered, "We could clean it."

Paige turned around to see Pogue's eyes flash black then change back quickly. She grinned then looked to Sienna, forgetting for a second that the woman did not know of the magical secrets that lay with the families.

"Hey Blake, why don't you show Sienna the terrace in the backyard."

Blake thought the request was strange and responded to Paige with a raised eyebrow.

Sienna smiled and said, "Oh, I've already seen it." Her gaze followed Demi, Madison, Rylee's mom, Lola and River's mom, Mary as they made their way past her and to the kitchen where many dirty dishes sat waiting to be washed and dried. Kassandra was left with the teenagers.

_The guys can get this clean in seconds, _Paige explained to Blake. "Yeah but not at night, it's gorgeous!" Knowing that she needed to get her dad's girlfriend out of the house for a while, Blake grabbed Sienna's hand and started to tow her down the hallway before she stopped.

"Won't you need help cleaning?" Sienna called to Kassandra who now stood next to Rylee. Reid stepped forward with a smirk on his face.

"Well, we will help clean," he said then nudged Caleb in the side. "We'll get it done in no time." Blake smiled at Reid and lightly tugged on Sienna, continuing to lead her down the long hallway and out the back door.

Once the pair was gone, Pogue walked further into the living room with Reid where their eyes flashed, going completely black. Within seconds, the plates disappeared from where they sat on the tables; cups and cans vanished leaving the entire room spotless and looking brand new.

"Well that saved us a lot of unnecessary labor," Kassandra smiled and thanked the two Sons for their help.

A small wave of irritation trickled through Tyler's veins as he watched Caleb, yet again, fail to reprimand Pogue and Reid for Using. Last week, Rylee had convinced him that River had mellowed Caleb out and made him not be so uptight about things. He shook his head trying to rid the irritation that he felt.

* * *

"What's up boys?" Reid greeted Pogue and Caleb as he walked down the stone basement steps of the old Colony House. Dozens of white candles were lit, lining the staircase and around the cave like room. Four stone seats surrounded a small fire pit that was set in the center of the room, the flames danced from the slight breeze that occasionally drifted down the stairs.

Caleb nodded to his friend from his seat and Pogue bumped fists with the blonde. Once Reid took his seat he placed his elbows on his knees, putting his weight on them. "So Ty wants to meet with us…wonder what that's about."

Earlier that morning and well before sunrise, Tyler text each of the Sons saying he wanted to talk to them and told them to meet him at the Colony House around noon. Right now the time was ten till noon.

"You think he suspects anything?" Pogue asked as he listened to the old wood groan in protest as the rain outside beat against it.

"I'm not sure if it's about the prophecy but he sure knows something," Caleb responded, his hands clasped together in front of him. He was so stupid to think that Tyler wouldn't catch on to the fact that he allowed the other two to Use without getting yelled at. Tyler was smarter than that.

"So what do we tell him if it is about the prophecy?" Reid asked, looking to his older friend, their leader. He hated the fact that he was lying to Tyler but he promised Caleb that he wouldn't tell him.

A creek in the wood stopped Caleb from answering straight away, his eyes on the stairs. He shrugged thinking that it was nothing, considering it was an extremely old house and it was pouring down rain outside. "We tell him nothing. He can't find out about the prophecy, even if he does suspect something. The girls made me swear that if we were to know, that we couldn't tell Tyler."

"I still don't see how that's fair." Reid growled slightly at Caleb. He didn't like that his best friend had to suffer with the curse while him and the others watched and waited, hoping that he too would be rid of the curse forever.

"I agree with you Reid, but that's not our decision. It's Rylee's."

* * *

Tyler ran quickly into the old Colony House, shaking his head and watched as rain drops flew off his hair, landing on the dusty floor beneath his feet. He took a calming breath and walked toward the stairs that led down to the basement where his brothers waited. Confronting his best friends made his nervous. He wasn't used to doing it because he never had to ask them what they were keeping from him.

Last night while laying in bed, Tyler spent most of the time thinking about what Rylee had said about Caleb being more lenient because of River, but as he thought, it seemed less and less likely. Sure, Caleb had mellowed out to some point but it seemed strange that he would stop keeping everyone in line from Using.

After his father died by willing his powers away to him and even before then, Caleb was strict on Using. While growing up he had watched his father become addicted to the power and Use so much that by the time he was forty he looked as if he were in his late eighties or early nineties. Caleb refused to let himself or any of his brothers end up like that, so he would reprimand any of them for Using too much.

Tyler had gotten little sleep because his brain raced with possible ideas of what his friends were hiding from him and why. As he drew closer to the stairs he heard the voice that belonged to Pogue. "-he suspects anything?"

"I'm not sure if it's about the prophecy but he sure knows something." He heard Caleb say to the others.

_Prophecy?_ Tyler repeated the word as Reid asked what they would say if he did ask about the prophecy. The brunette took one step closer to the doorway and froze when a floorboard creaked under his weight. Thinking he had been caught eavesdropping, he held his breath.

"We tell him nothing," Caleb's voice said. Tyler let out his breath and continued to listen. "He can't find out about the prophecy, even if he does suspect something. The girls made me swear that if we were to know, that we couldn't tell Tyler."

"I still don't see how that's fair," his best friend argued with Caleb. A small smile of thanks formed on Tyler's lips, he knew Reid would be the one to stand up for him. But the thankfulness was quickly replaced with the irritation that he had felt for most of the night because of Caleb's next words.

"I agree with you Reid, but that's not our decision. It's Rylee's."

Hundreds of emotions raced through Tyler as thousand of questions ran through his mind before his thoughts landed on Rylee. _Rylee's decision for what? What is she keeping from me? _

He contemplated between asking the guys or asking Rylee. In the end he decided to talk to his girlfriend. It was her decision after all. But for what, Tyler had no idea.

The fear of confrontation fell from him as he ran from the house and to his Hummer. He grabbed his cell phone from the passenger seat and quickly dialed Rylee's number. After several rings it went into her voicemail. "Rylee, I have to talk to you. I overheard the guys talking….Just meet me at my house. Now."

After closing his phone he threw it away from him in anger. He was frustrated his friends were deliberately keeping a secret, confused about what they were keeping from him, but most of all he was hurt because they apparently didn't trust him enough to tell him and left him in the dark.

* * *

Paige, Rylee, Blake and River sat comfortably full at a table for four in a small restaurant in the heart of Ipswich. The girls agreed to an afternoon at the movies then lunch before having to meet the guys at Nicky's later that night.

"It hasn't rained like this in forever it feels like," River said as she stared out the window into the dark curtain of rain. The plate in front of her sat nearly empty.

Blake nodded her head in agreement as she picked at her food. "Yeah, well the rain was due to come sometime."

Next to her, Rylee reached into her purse to get her cell phone and noticed she had a missed call and a voicemail. "Whoops, I forgot my phone was on silent." She put the sound back on and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hm," Rylee closed her phone a minute later and looked around at the girls. "Tyler says he needs to talk to me, he sounded kind of mad."

"What do you think he is mad about?" asked River, her eyes on her young friend.

Rylee shrugged. "He didn't say. Paige, can I borrow your car?"

Paige nodded and handed over her keys. "Yeah sure, I'll just teleport us back," he said as Rylee stood, giving them a smile. "Drive the speed limit."

"Thanks, see ya." Rylee rolled her eyes and waved bye before walking away from the table. She stepped outside into the downpour of rain and groaned in displeasure as she raised her arms over her head trying to keep dry as she raced to Paige's car.

While Rylee drove down the road in the direction of Tyler's house, the rain started to pour even heavier, making her huff out a breath and let the windshield wipers increase to its highest speed. Though the wipers tried desperately to keep the rain from distorting her view it was still hard for Rylee to see the street. Puddles of water scattered the narrow road, the sun was hidden behind the dark gray clouds making the day look like night.

The needle to the speedometer climbed quickly, making its way past the speed limit of 45 mph and resting on 60 mph. Rylee never paid attention to speed limits or rules of driving, that's why the one of the other girls usually drove instead of her.

Rylee's blue eyes were concentrating on the road when her phone started to ring. "Crap."

Her hand searched around blindly in her purse but was not successful. She tore her gaze from the road and dug through the bag, after a few seconds her fingers wrapped around the small piece of technology.

Her thumb lingered over the green button, but just as she went to answer it the wheels of the car locked up, sending her spinning in circles as Paige's car hydroplaned. Her breath hitched in her chest as she gripped the wheel tightly with both hands trying to gain control over the vehicle. A scream escaped her as she hit the guard rail and flipped over it, causing the car to roll over several times before stopping upright as it slammed into the trunk of a large tree.

A curtain of rain poured into the busted windshield, soaking Rylee and leaving a pool of water on the floor board. The right front of the car was completely smashed in, along with the side that hit the tree. Glass littered the leather seats from the broken windows, some shards dug into the right side of Rylee's body.

Her breathing came in pants and adrenaline pumped through her veins as she grinded her teeth together from the pain that shot up and down her left arm. It felt like a tiny sword was flowing side length down her arm, tearing at her veins and muscles. During one of the many flips the car had made, her arm got pinned against the dash board and the door and heard a deafening crunch. A trickle of blood streamed down the side of her face as she tried to lift her head. She cried out as the movement sent her head whirling.

Her vision started to fade and she fought hard to stay conscious long enough to find the connection that she shared with Paige, River and Blake. Just as she reached it her eyelids slide shut and she drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

Back at his house in his room, Tyler slammed his cell phone shut after getting Rylee's voicemail for the second time that day. Instead of calling her another time he called Blake, knowing that she was with his girlfriend that day. After two rings she answered. "Hello?"

"Is Rylee with you?" he asked in a rush without even greeting her.

"Well hello to you too, Mr. Grumpy Pants," she replied sarcastically, "And no, she's not with me."

Tyler felt his patience quickly slip away. "Okay, smartass where is she then."

On the other line Blake scoffed but did not speak out loud about his rudeness. "She left about ten minutes ago," she responded shortly before adding, "Asshole." With that she hung up on him, ending the tiny conversation.

Tyler felt a twinge of regret for being so rude to his friend, she had always been so nice to him. _But she is keeping something from me as well. _He tossed his phone down on his nightstand before throwing himself onto his bed, his thoughts drifted and he fell asleep as he waited for Rylee to arrive.

He was startled awake when his phone vibrated against the dark wood of his nightstand. The alarm clock that sat upon it said that an hour had passed.

Somewhat drowsy from his unintentional nap, Tyler squinted his eyes and saw that the caller I.D. said that Reid was calling. He ignored it and grabbed his house phone to call Rylee and see why she wasn't at his house yet but all he got was the voicemail again. He called again… then again when she didn't answer for the fourth time.

In those few short minutes his cell phone rang five different times in a row. The youngest Son of Ipswich hit redial to call Rylee from the landline for the fifth time when he heard his name being called.

"Tyler!" a panicked voice yelled from the main floor of the house. "Tyler!"

Tyler walked from his room confused because the voice he heard did not belong to Rylee. He peaked over the balcony that looked over and into the foyer. A small brunette stood frantically looking around the house. "Paige?"

Her head snapped up and he saw thick tears streaming down her face from glowing pink eyes. "Tyler!" she cried and ran up the stairs to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"What's wrong?" Tyler asked as all the anger and frustration was replaced with worry that built with every sob that came from the girl in his arms.

Paige composed herself long enough to pull away from him and look him in the eyes. "Rylee's in the hospital. She was in a car wreck."

* * *

It felt as if they were regulars at the hospital; first with Blake and her shoulder, then River having to get surgery when Carmen had stabbed her in the chest. Then there was Paige who had to get stitches from a large wound that she had gotten from the same girl who stabbed River.

This time, they waited quietly in the waiting room for Rylee.

Nearly a half an hour ago, the hospital called Paige's mom, Kassandra since she was considered Rylee's guardian during her stay in Ipswich. They said that Rylee had been in a car wreck and was in the hospital. The doctor told her that she was lucky someone had seen the wreck and called the ambulance right away because Rylee had lost a lot of blood from the several wounds she had received. The doctor also said that she had a broken arm, fractured wrist, a punctured lung and had a concussion.

Near a water fountain, Blake stood in Pogue's arms staring at the door that Rylee laid behind in recovery. Reid sat next to Paige and River, holding both of their hands in comfort as they waited to see their friend.

Across the room, Caleb stood with Kassandra who was talking to the couple that had spotted Rylee's accident and called the ambulance. "Is there anything we can do to thank you?" Kassandra asked them on behalf of Rylee's parents who were in the room with their daughter. The man kindly rejected the offer of some kind of repayment and departed minutes later with his wife.

Reid tried talking to Tyler once he arrived in the waiting room but he ignored the blonde. He sat alone and away from the group, Paige was the only one he had spoken to since she came to fetch him from the house and bring him to the hospital. If he did have to talk, his replies would be short and he avoided eye contact with everyone. So, after a while people stopped trying to hold conversations with him.

He still didn't know what was going on and what everyone was keeping from him but that didn't matter. Well, at least right now it didn't matter. All that mattered was Rylee. He felt that he was to blame for her getting hurt. After all if it wasn't for him she wouldn't have wrecked on the way to his house.

"Tyler?" Paige whispered, waiting for him to look up from the floor. "Ty?" He shook his head, keeping his gaze on the floor. Paige took the hint that he didn't want to talk to her and walked back to where Reid and River sat.

The doors opened and Carl and Lola stepped out into the waiting room. They both looked tired but thankful that their daughter was alive. "Tyler," Carl called to the dark haired boy.

Tyler raised his head to see that Lola had joined Kassandra and Caleb; Carl stood in front of him. "Rylee would like to see you."

Quickly, Tyler rose from his chair and entered through the heavy double doors. Carl told him that Rylee was in the third room on the left, down the second hallway. He paused with his hands on the door, preparing to see his girlfriend laying vulnerable in an uncomfortable bed, hooked up to a bunch of machines.

The door swung open revealing a small, plain room with a single bed, a 13-inch television, and a chair that was pulled up to the edge of the bed.

At the sound of footsteps Rylee looked away from the T.V. and spotted Tyler standing hesitantly by the wall near the small bathroom that was attached. She smiled at him and patted a spot on the bed next to her with her uninjured hand.

As Tyler walked to her his eyes watered up and tears threatened to spill over onto his cheeks. "Rylee," he breathed. She looked better than he expected. She sat with a purple cast wrapped around left arm, a small bandage was placed on her forehead, and little bruises and scrapes were on her skin. The other injuries were hidden beneath the blankets and her gown. "Rylee, I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have left and-"

"Stop," said Rylee firmly with a tired voice, halting his ongoing apologies. "It's not your fault. I was driving too fast and it was raining so hard that I hydroplaned."

Tyler gently took a seat next to her on the bed. "But I called you! You got in the car because of me! You were on your way to see me!" Tyler almost yelled, his hands shook. "I was just so mad at the guys and…," He stopped when he saw that Rylee had tears in her eyes like him.

"So many things went through my mind as the car flipped over and over: my life, my parents, school, my friends, my past…and my future." Tyler grabbed her hand in his as she continued to speak. Tears fell from her eyes. "Before I went unconscious only one thing went through my mind. My last thought was of you, Tyler."

A single tear fell down his cheek. "I was so afraid that I lost you," he murmured quietly as Rylee placed her palm on his face and wiped the tear away with her thumb.

"You will never lose me, Tyler." Rylee kissed the second tear away that ran down his other cheek and grinned inwardly as she repeated Paige's words. "Prophecy or no prophecy….we are meant to be together, Tyler."

Rylee knew that Tyler had suspected something. Ever since he brought up his suspicions about Caleb's lack of authority during their last week of school.

Just then, Tyler didn't care what his girlfriend or his friends were keeping from him. They must have kept it from him for a good reason. "Rylee, I love you so much." He kissed her lips gently.

"I love you more, Ty." Rylee grinned as she felt the barriers and guards that she had placed around her heart throughout her entire life slip away in a manor of seconds as she looked into her boyfriend's blue eyes. "And I'll love you forever."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

When Rylee was released from the hospital a few days later, the girls planned a trip to go back to the West Coast and enjoy the beach for a month. They also wanted to be able to make up for the time they lost with their families over the last year. And of course, the Sons tagged along with them, getting their first taste of the California life the girls once lived.

During their time there, Blake's dad Craig announced to his daughter that he was planning to propose to his girlfriend of nearly ten months. Blake was ecstatic and offered her blessings to the happy couple.

Three days later he got down on one knee in front of a large number of friends and family at a cook out on the beach. Sienna burst into tears as she threw her arms around the tall, dark haired man and shouted, "Yes! Of course I will marry you!"

The four weeks passed by faster than they liked, but Blake, River, and Rylee had enjoyed the time they shared with their families. Paige's mom had decided to stay in Ipswich but sent her love to her friends in Los Angeles. The Sons of Ipswich were very grateful that they were invited to stay so long with the three girls parents.

"Bye!" Sienna called happily to her soon to be step-daughter, the glint of a diamond ring flashed from her left hand in the bright sunlight. Next to her, Craig waved and winked to Blake before she disappeared down the long terminal with the others to the plane that would lead them back home to Ipswich.

* * *

Six weeks later:

Tyler and Rylee led the group into their favorite local hangout, their fingers intertwined. They had less than a month until they would have to pack their things and head off to college, so a night of fun and relaxation was needed and Nicky's was definitely the place to do so.

"You want something to drink?" Reid asked his girlfriend as she took a seat at their usual table near the back of the bar. Paige smiled and nodded her head. Pogue, who sat next to her said, "Yeah, I'll take a coke."

Reid walked away from the table as the others started to yell after him to get them drinks as well. Tyler laughed, realizing the blonde would need help carrying the order back and followed him to the bar where he was talking to Nicky, the bar owner.

"Game of foosball?" Caleb asked River, seeing that the game table was unoccupied. The couple left just as Reid and Tyler returned with the food and drinks.

"You know," Tyler started, his arms loosely hanging over Rylee's shoulder. "I'm going to really miss this place."

Rylee smiled at her boyfriend and wrapped both of her arms around his waist. Her broken arm she had gotten from the car accident had healed within less than two months after the incident. Like the other girls, she healed faster than any normal human.

"Ty, it's not like we're never going to come back here," she reassured him with a kiss on the cheek. "We can come back on weekend's every once in a while."

A slow song started playing in the speakers coming from the jukebox, an unusual thing for the loud and smoky bar but still, couples scattered the dance floor, all swaying to the slow tempo.

River grabbed Caleb's hand and led him to the pool of dancing bodies where she snaked her arms around his neck, smiling up at him. The oldest Son stared intently at the girl in his arms who stood on her tippy toes and placed a kiss on his lips.

Soon after, the other couples joined them. Blake's arms draped around Pogue's shoulders pulling him closer so that their noses nearly touched. Both grinned as they swayed in perfect unison to Edwin McCain's "I Could Not Ask For More."

Next to them stood Paige, wrapped tightly in the arms of Reid Garwin. A smile rested on her lips as she laid her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, her eyes closed seeming in a complete state of bliss.

Tyler's eyes wandered to each of his friends, a jolt of happiness flooded through him at seeing them all so happy and in love. _Everyone's together…together forever. _Rylee cleared her throat, catching the youngest Sons attention. It was then he noticed that they had stopped dancing while the others still moved.

"You completely zoned out on me," Rylee smiled as they walked back to the table, where they took a seat. "What were you thinking?"

"Lot's of things," he replied before taking a sip of his drink. "But mostly about us." He motioned to River, Caleb, Pogue and Blake who were still on the dance floor, then to Paige and Reid who were about to start a game of pool with some familiar looking students from a neighboring public school. "I'm just happy how things turned out."

Rylee's blue eyes sparkled as she leaned in closer to the man before her. "I'm happy too." Their lips met in a chaste kiss. When they parted Rylee gazed around the bar, following Tyler's previous glance at their friends. "This is how it was meant to be…all of us together."

The young Son grinned at the words coming from her lips, happy to hear her say it out loud again. "I love you, Rylee Brooks." He took her hand in his and kissed it gently as she told him she loved him more.

"Yo, baby boy!" Reid called from across the bar after they had won the game against their competitors. Tyler turned to see his best friend waving him over. Paige stood next to him holding a wad of money in her hand, a small token for the years of pool playing she and the girls had under their belts. She winked at Rylee who shook her head and grabbed Tyler's arm, pulling him behind her toward the tables.

Once the pair made it to where the couple waited, Paige tossed the money onto the green felt of the pool table and said, "We challenge you and Simms to a game, Brooks."

Several hours later, after a few drinks, dancing and some games of pool and foosball, the eight teenagers sat at the table, preparing themselves to leave. They moved slowly and somewhat sadly as they walked together as a group toward the door.

Paige, Rylee, Blake and River gave small smiles to the Sons before pushing open the door, leaving their boyfriends in silence as they stood looking over their favorite hangout.

Pogue clapped Tyler on the shoulder, taking a deep breath of content. The blue eyes of Reid Garwin glanced to Nicky, the bar owner who nodded a goodbye to his four favorite costumers. Caleb turned to his brothers, all basking in the thousands of memories they shared together in this very place.

It was a bittersweet moment as they left, taking one last look around the smoky bar, realizing that they would not be able to see this place as often as they were used to.

As they joined the girls in the parking lot, memories flashed through Caleb's mind causing a small wave of emotions to roll over him. Though he loved the times he spent with his brothers at the bar, his favorite memory was the night that his childhood friend Paige returned and brought with her the girl he was in love with now.

He knew that Tyler and Pogue would full heartedly agree. Pogue fell for Blake the moment he laid eyes on her. Tyler fell just as fast, but took his approach a bit more slower than his friends.

Also, that very same night, Reid realized how he felt about the girl who had been in their lives for so long. Paige changed the bad boy Son of Ipswich, softening his heart and taming his unruly actions. Reid thanked her everyday for coming into his life and saving him.

Caleb knew that if it were not for the girls, they would have been condemned to the life that so many generations of the Covenant before them had suffered. Because of these four girls, the ones that drove in the car in front of them, they and the future Sons of Ipswich would no longer suffer the curse of rapid aging and would be free to Use their power without consequence.

* * *

"Paige?" Kassandra called as she walked toward the open door that led to her daughter's room. The room was more bare than usual; the many pictures and few paintings that once scattered the walls were packed away in boxes. The only things that remained was the furniture, bedding and some old clothes.

Paige poked her head out of the connecting bathroom, a few toiletries in her hands. She packed away what she carried and zipped shut the bag she put them in. "Alright, all set." With a grin, she turned to face her mom to see silent tears falling from her blue eyes. "Aw, mom."

Kassandra quickly wiped the tears away and let out a small laugh. "My little girl is leaving for college."

At that moment, Blake and River walked into the room. "Crying again?" River teased as she hugged the older women. She turned to her brunette friend. "You all packed and ready to go? The guys are on their way over."

Each girl grabbed a box and together they made their way down the stairs where they set the boxes with the other luggage.

A rap on the door caught all of their attention and turned to see the door swing open and Pogue, Caleb, and Reid stepped in, bringing with them the warm breeze of summer that lifted the hearts of the girls. "You girls ready to go?"

Blake nodded and greeted Pogue with a kiss, as did River and Paige with their boyfriends. After greeting and saying their farewells to Kassandra, the boys grabbed the boxes and luggage and loaded up the cars.

"Okay, I want you to call me as soon as you get unpacked and settled," Kassandra said as she pulled Paige into a long embrace. "All of you," she added to River and Blake as she hugged each of them in turn.

The three girls walked out into the bright sunlight to see Pogue putting Blake's things in the back of his Jeep Grand Cherokee.

"Uh, Pogue what are you doing?" Blake walked to her boyfriend as he loaded the last piece of her luggage and closed the hatch of the car.

"Hm?" he responded absentmindedly, going to help Reid with Paige's things.

River stood in confusion as she watched her belongings being loaded into Caleb's Mustang. Reid stood behind Paige's car, placing her last bag in the trunk.

"What are you doing?" Blake repeated as Pogue turned to her. "I thought River, Paige and I were riding together and you guys were following?"

Rylee had left the previous day to get a head start on moving into their apartment. After everyone got their acceptance letters and finding out that his college and Rylee's were only four minutes apart, Tyler developed an idea. After a brief discussion with his parents and his brothers, Tyler nervously asked Rylee if she would like to get an apartment together. Squealing like a giddy little girl Rylee tackled him to the floor, and a few weeks later the couple went to Boston in search of a place.

Caleb glanced at Pogue, a knowing smile on his face before speaking to the girls. "Well, we just though it would be easier for you and River to ride with me and Pogue since we are all going to the same campus."

"They have a point," Paige pointed out as Reid wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the side of her neck.

"Let's get moving woman!" Reid joked playfully, then had to dodge Paige's elbow that came close to colliding with the side of his head. He laughed as he jogged to her car, calling to his girlfriend as if she were a cat.

Paige turned to Blake and River and rolled her eyes. "Remind me again why I'm dating him?" She gave her best friends each a hug then kissed Pogue and Caleb on the cheek before heading to the car where Reid stood, holding the door open for her. "Call me when you get moved in to your dorms."

The girls waved as the blue Mazda Rx8 pulled out of the driveway, heading toward their destination: Boston University.

Within minutes Caleb, River, Blake and Pogue accompanied each other on the open road, with Caleb in his Mustang leading the small train of two cars.

"College here we come!" Blake yelled as the summer air flowed through the open window of Pogue's black Jeep Grand Cherokee. Pogue smiled to himself, his heart swelling with anticipation as he thought of what he had in store for her in less then an hour.

* * *

Paige sat in the passenger seat of her own car singing softly to the radio. Reid had demanded that he drive before they left the house that morning.

Driving along the recognizable path toward Boston University's campus, Reid took an unexpected right hand turn. "Uh, weren't we supposed to go left?" Paige pointed her finger in the other direction, a look of confusion on her face.

A new light shined in Reid's eyes as he watched his girlfriend look out the window at the unfamiliar street they drove down. She turned to look at him suspiciously. "Reid Garwin, where are we going?"

At that moment the car came to a stop and Reid jumped out and jogged to the passenger side to open her door. Reluctantly, Paige allowed him to help her from the car. Before she could properly take in her surroundings, a cloth of fabric wrapped its way around her face, shielding her eyes from the view.

"Reid!" Paige protested. The last time he had blindfolded her, he had a surprise waiting for her involving dozens of candles, a night under the stars and a confession of affection.

"Shh," he replied gently in her ear and grabbed her hand, guiding her a short distance to the side walk where they took a few steps, only pausing when Reid led her through a pair of double doors. The temperature shifted as a cool breeze hit her face. A small shiver raked her body, but from the cold or being anxious, she wasn't sure.

All around her she could hear the quite chatter of people, and from her left a voice greeted with enthusiasm, "Good afternoon, sir."

Paige's curiosity and anxiousness heightened several levels. She tried hard to see through the fabric covering her eyes, but only darkness was in her view. _What is going on?_ she thought when a soft beep of an elevator chimed from somewhere near.

Without a pause Reid pulled her onto the elevator, his grip on her hand tightened in excitement.

"Reid, will you just-," she was cut off by a fingerless gloved hand that suddenly covered her mouth.

"Hush," he said, amusement clear in his voice. Paige wanted to bite the hand that covered her mouth out of irritation, but resisted the temptation to do so.

The elevator chimed more than eight times before it came to a stop; one last chime was heard as the doors opened. Less than a minute later, the sound of a key unlocking a lock reached her ears.

"Okay," Reid's voice whispered, taking a few steps forward. He took a deep breath and pulled the blindfold from her eyes.

Paige blinked from the sudden brightness. Having to blink a few more times before her vision was fully restored, she took in a couple breaths; bringing with it the scent of warm vanilla.

Once her eyesight returned completely, she gazed at her surroundings. The room she stood in was large with a long table set along the wall just inside the door. To her left was the kitchen; it's black counter tops sparkled, a small bar with four stools set beneath it. In front of her was a long hallway that seemed to lead to a Study of some sort.

She turned to face Reid who watched her carefully. His crystal blue eyes waiting for her reaction. "Is this ours?"

Not being able to speak, he nodded. He couldn't tell what was going through her mind and it scared him. _Did I make the wrong choice? Does she like it? I should have asked her first. _It didn't help that Paige walked away from him and down the long hallway, peaking into each of the rooms on the way. When at last she reached the last door, she spun to face him.

A wave of relief rushed over the blonde Son of Ipswich when he saw the massive grin that graced his girlfriends face. "You bought us an apartment?" she asked softly once she stood before her boyfriend.

Reid laughed at seeing her so excited, like a little girl getting her first Barbie Doll. "No," he started and lead her to the far end of the living room that was slightly out of view from the front door. Hidden behind the wall was a set of stairs that led to a second floor. "I bought us a Condo," he said with a grin.

Paige's grin grew even wider if possible as she flew up the stairs as fast as she could,. He sighed in content, happy at her reaction of moving in together. He was ecstatic about living with the girl he was in love with, allowing their relationship to grow.

_Love._ Now that's not something that the old Reid Garwin would have never thought he was capable of. Loving a girl. Or being with just one girl for that matter.

But the old Reid Garwin changed the instant he laid eyes on his childhood friend when she returned to Ipswich almost a year ago. Without meaning to, without wanting to at first, he fell for Paige, just as his friends had fallen for her best friends that she had brought back from California.

He was brought out of his thoughts when a pair of arms encircled his waist from behind. Reid glanced over his shoulder to see a pair of glowing pink eyes. "Teleporting already?" he asked, pulling Paige around him so that she was in front of him. Her eye color back to their normal blue.

"It's our Condo," she grinned up at him, her eyes full of excitement. "We can do whatever we want." Her hand snaked up Reid's chest and closed around the back of his neck, her lips met his in a grateful kiss.

When they pulled apart, Reid brushed the hair out of her face. "So you like it then?" He knew the answer, but wanted to hear it said out loud.

"Like it? I love it! I can't believe you did this," Paige replied, looking around at the beautiful Condo that was full of plush, stylish furniture. "Who helped you with the furniture and decorating?"

Reid smirked and looked at the dark sofa that sat against the wall. A small assortment of pictures hung above it; a big screen TV sat along the opposite wall on a massive entertainment center that was glossy black.

"My mom and Kassandra," He said with a shrug. "They were so excited to help out."

"I bet they were." Paige looked around at the room before her eyes flicked up to the second floor above them. "So which bedroom is ours?"

Knowing the meaning behind her words, a smirk grew on his face. His eyes flashed fire before settling on dark onyx, the color they always turned when Using. "The one with the biggest bed," he said before disappearing from the spot.

* * *

"Uhh, River?" Caleb waved a hand in front of his girlfriend's face who stood in a state of shock. Her mouth hung open in the form of an O and her eyes were wide in disbelief.

Only minutes ago, Caleb had surprised River when instead of taking her to the dorm that she thought she was sharing with Blake on campus, he took her to an extravagant apartment complex. Once he told her that the large apartment was theirs, she froze and had yet to move.

Caleb gave a smile when her mouth closed and her brown eyes focused on him. "Welcome back," he said, shifting nervously as he waited for her to speak.

River took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she surveyed the apartment. It was massive. From what she could tell it had more than enough rooms to hold the entire gang if needed.

She stepped further into the hallway and came around a corner where she saw that the living room and kitchen sat next to each other in a large open room. The only thing that separated the rooms was small wall with a window so one could be in the kitchen and still be able to see into the living room. A leather couch set along that wall; next to it was a matching chaise lounge. Along the opposite wall sat a decent sized TV with some of Caleb's possessions already set around it.

"River?" Caleb said from directly behind her, a note of worry lay in his voice. "If you don't like it or don't want-" He was cut off by River's lips as she latched onto him, kissing him hard.

"You are amazing you know that?" River smiled when the pulled apart. "It's perfect! How did you pull this off?"

Caleb grinned from ear to ear. "Well when Tyler came to us and asked what we thought if he asked Rylee to get a place with him, it kind of hit us all."

"Wait a second!" River said with excitement. "You mean, Pogue and Reid asked the girls to get a place with them too?"

Caleb nodded.

River made a mental note to call her best friends as soon as possible. "You want to see the rest of it?" Caleb asked with excitement, but didn't wait for her to reply before towing her off, giving her the grand tour of their apartment.

After ten minutes they had seen the entire apartment. River discovered that they had a full kitchen with all of the best appliances; a study and four bedrooms. The master bedroom had a full bathroom connected to it with a Jacuzzi bathtub. Another full bathroom was set between one of the guest bedrooms and the study.

"Caleb, this place is amazing," River said. It seemed surreal standing in the middle of the most beautiful apartment, and in front of her the man of her dreams, the man that she was madly in love with. "You're amazing."

Caleb smiled widely before capturing her lips again. "I love you."

"I love you too." She gave him one more gentle kiss then let out a deep breath as she looked around at her new place…their home.

"I have one more thing to show you. Close your eyes." He grabbed her hand and with a flurry of excitement, led her in the direction of the room that was to be their bedroom. After a few moments he said, "Open."

River obeyed and her brown eyes focused on a small velvet box with a little red ribbon tied around it. She glanced from the box to him then back at the box. With a shaky hand she took it from his palm.

Slowly, she lifted the lid and gasped at the stunning piece of jewelry within the velvet box. A diamond encrusted necklace shaped in the form of two hearts entwined together sparkled in the warm sunlight that flowed into the bay window adjacent to the couple.

Caleb took the necklace out of it's velvet bed and said, "You know how much I love you." the necklace was placed around River's neck where it hung just below her collar bone. "As do the guys, but I want everyone else to know as well…so I think this will do the job."

With a grin River encircled her boyfriend's waist with he arms and pulled herself closer to him.

"You know," River said looking down at the necklace then around at the apartment. "You better be careful or I will become spoiled."

"You're already are spoiled," were his last words before kissing her lips tenderly.

* * *

Blake held her cell phone in her hand, ready to dial her one of her best friends numbers, but didn't know which one to call first. She stood in the middle of her bedroom with the large bay window set open, allowing a soft breeze to drift past her. A strong pair of arms encircled Blake's waist, causing a smile to cross her lips and a twinkle to set in her eyes. "Say it again."

Blake's smile turned into a grin. "I love you and you're the most amazing boyfriend ever." She spun in his arms to face him. "I'm still speechless that you did this, Pogue." She waved a hand around the single room, but talked about the entire condo.

Only two hours ago, Pogue surprised Blake with a key. Confused about the strange gift, she asked him what was going on. With a grin that could light up the world, Pogue led her to a door with a large red ribbon taped to it.

Comprehension dawned on her as she looked at the door with a ribbon and then at the key in her hand. Her heart leapt up in her throat. "Oh."

Pogue grabbed both of her hand in his. "Blake, this place, I bought for both of us. But only if you are ready to make a commitment like that. I know it's a big step, but I love you and would love for this to happen."

A few moments passed before she responded. "I love you and I would love to call this place our home."

Now Blake stood in the arms of her boyfriend, enjoying the comfortable silence. Though the silence ended quickly when Pogue's phone started to ring. He reached into his jean pocket and pulled out the small device. "Hey man, what's up?"

Tyler's voice could be heard clearly on the other line and Blake could vaguely hear Rylee in the background. "Ty, what is she yelling about?" Pogue laughed and put the phone on speaker so Blake could hear as well.

A chuckle escaped the youngest Son of Ipswich. "She's been dying to talk to one of the girls ever since we finished unpacking," Tyler explained while Rylee kept asking if it was okay if she talked to her girl friends. Blake laughed at hearing her voice and used telepathy to give her the okay.

_Ryl's, _she said in her mind to her younger friend, catching her attention. As soon as she breached the connection that they shared with each other and the other girls, Blake could feel the excitement radiating from the girl.

_Blake! How do you like it? Were you surprised? What does it look like? You have no idea how good it feels to be able to talk about it!_

Astonishment and surprise took over Blake, followed closely by comprehension that quickly came over her. _You knew this whole time?_

_Of course I did, _she said back with a playful tone. _I knew about everything with River and Paige too._

Blake looked at her boyfriend who grinned, somehow knowing what she was thinking. She rolled her eyes but was grateful that Rylee was able to keep the surprise a secret.

* * *

Tyler & Rylee's Apartment:

"You know Ryl's," Caleb started with his arm around the younger girl who was setting the dining room table for eight. "I'm shocked that you were able to keep that big of a secret from your best friends."

Rylee stuck her tongue out and slipped out from under his arms, pushing him away playfully and walked back into the kitchen where the girls finished up the cooking.

Tyler had offered to help, but the girls insisted that they do everything since the guys have done so much for them, including the nice, lavish apartments and condos they had surprised the girls with. So, instead Tyler joined Reid and Pogue who sat in the living room on the plush sofa in front of the big screen TV.

The smell of green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and chicken wafted through the apartment, making everyone's mouth water. Thankfully for the growling and empty stomachs, the food was ready. Just as Rylee set down the chicken, everyone was in their seats.

"So classes start next week," Blake pointed out as she dug her fork into the green bean casserole. Her and River were going to Harvard Medical School. Caleb and Pogue would be attending Harvard as well; Caleb majoring in Law while Pogue had yet to decide what he wanted to do while there. They each had decided to take 15 credit hours each, making them full time students.

"We are done with high school," Paige stated happily from between Reid and Pogue. "Now off to college….scary."

Caleb chuckled once from his seat next to River. "Scary? You've battled and destroyed the greatest evil out there, got stabbed and hurt several times, kidnapped by a psychotic stalker and were never scared once. Yet college scares you?"

Reid stiffened at the mention of Corey, but relaxed at Paige's touch. "Yes," she stated simply with a shrug as she intertwined her fingers with her boyfriend's.

Before anyone could say anything else, Tyler stood and cleared his throat, grabbing his friends attention. "I'd like to make a toast." He raised his glass in the air and smiled at each person that sat around the table. "Here's to the past, full of good times and some not so good." Everyone laughed at the truth behind his words, the gang had gone through so much together and were still going strong. "To the present, enjoying life and what it has to offer one day at a time; and last but not least, to the future, to the love and friendships that continue to grow stronger day by day."

Paige and Rylee shared a smile. Caleb grabbed River's hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. Reid smirked and was the first to raise his glass, everyone followed his lead. "Here's to the beginning of the rest of our lives together."


	32. Chapter 32

Ch. 32

Three Years Later:

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear, Rylee! Happy Birthday to you!"

The small crowd gather inside the dining room of Tyler and Rylee's apartment consisted of only Rylee's closest friends and family members. From the chair at the head of the table, Rylee grinned around at her guests; on the cake in front of her stood twenty-one flickering candles.

"Make a wish!" Paige said from next to Reid and her mom, Kassandra. Rylee rolled her eyes but closed them, made her wish and blew out the candles.

Presents were opened after cake and ice cream was served. Most of the things Rylee had asked for were things for the apartment or for her last year at Massachusetts College of Art. Blake, River and Paige's present to their younger friend was a girls night out on the town, since she was the youngest and had not been able to go out with the rest of the group on previous outings to bars.

Her gift from Pogue, Reid and Caleb was a set of drawing stencils and a sketch pad.

"Thanks guys," she said with a grin. They had become like her brothers and loved them just as much as if they were her real family. Caleb grinned back and hugged her tight, Pogue playfully ruffled her brown hair that she still kept short. Reid smirked in welcome and glanced at his best friend who stood a few feet away with his hands in his pockets looking slightly nervous. Tyler bit his lip and gave his friend a curt nod before taking a deep breath.

At that moment his girlfriend spun to face him with a smile on her lips. Rylee tilted her head to the side and eyed him suspiciously as he walked toward her with his hands still deep in his jean pockets. When he stood directly before his girlfriend of over four years, he stared at her with soft eyes.

"You're the most amazing, beautiful, talented, sweetest girl I have ever met. These past four years have been amazing." The crowd around them became hushed suddenly, their eyes on the couple before them. "We've gone through so much together and I wouldn't change it for the world. You've made me a better person and because of you, my life is perfect."

Tyler removed a small blue velvet box from his pocket.

Rylee bit her bottom lip and smiled sweetly at him, seeming somewhat bashful at his speech. Her blue eyes locked on her boyfriend, focusing on him and only him.

"I love you so much and I plan on spending the rest of my life with you. Rylee Brooks," he paused as he took her hand in his and knelt down on one knee. Rylee gashed in surprise. "Will you marry me?"

All was still, only a few moments passed before Rylee flung herself on Tyler, knocking him over onto the ground. "Yes!"she cried, kissing him passionately. Large grins graced both of their faces when they pulled apart. An almost deafening cheer erupted from their small audience, yells and shouts of congratulations reached their ears.

With a shaky hand, Rylee waited for Tyler to pull the ring out of the velvet box and slip it on the ring finger on her left hand; the one carat princess cut diamond with two smaller ones sat on a white gold band sparkled brilliantly. Rylee gave him a long kiss as happy tears fell down her face. "I love you, I love you, I love you," she said, placing a chaste kiss on his lips with every I love you.

"Oh my God!" Rylee shouted, laughing as her mom Lola, Paige, Blake, River and the other women rushed to her side to fawn over the newly engaged girl and her ring. Thousands of comments flew from the girls mouth as they hugged and congratulated the happy couple.

Several hours later, Rylee walked Blake, River and Paige to the door where they stood talking while Tyler hung back with the guys in the living room.

"Well this is something I never expected," Pogue started with a sarcastic sigh and clapped Tyler on the shoulder. "Baby boy is the first to do something before any of us!"

Tyler shoved Pogue's hand away and laughed. "Come on guys, I'm not the last to do everything."

Caleb, Reid and Pogue shared a look. "Caleb, would you please tell me who was the last to Ascend?" Pogue asked in a teasing tone.

"Why certainly," Caleb answered with a laugh. "Tyler."

"And Reid, who was the last to kiss a girl?" Pogue continued with his questions.

"Tyler," Reid answered with a smirk.

"Last to get drunk?"

"Tyler," Caleb and Reid replied together, both laughing as Tyler tried to ignore their bantering.

"The last to lose his virginity?"

"Tyl-"

"Whoa!" Tyler interrupted and looked around at his best friends. "Okay, I get it, I'm always the last to do everything."

The other three laughed as Tyler rolled his eyes. "Dude, we are really happy for you and Ryl's," Caleb said with a serious but light tone.

"Marriage is a huge step, man," Reid agreed, approving Tyler's choice of proposing to his long-term girlfriend.

"Thanks guys." Tyler lifted his chin in the direction where the girls stood talking animatedly. "Who's the next to get down on one knee?"

Reid, Pogue and Caleb shared another look, wondering themselves the answer to that question. _Who was next?_

Later that night, Tyler stood in the kitchen with a towel in his hands, drying the last of the dishes. He insisted that he finished the cleaning while Rylee went to settle down for the night.

When he was done, Tyler walked to the bedroom where he found Rylee staring at her ring, a huge smile on her face. Tyler grinned to himself as he watched the girl he loved. He let a few seconds pass before he revealed his presence.

"Hey fiancé," Rylee said, beaming as Tyler walked to her and placed a kiss on her forehead then on her nose. Her heart gave a flutter when his lips skipped over her mouth and found their way to her neck. She giggled and pulled him back onto the bed where she sat.

* * *

The next night Paige, Blake and River showed up at Rylee and Tyler's apartment, ready to take their younger friend out to celebrate her 21st birthday properly.

"Ready to have some fun?" Blake asked excitedly when she saw Rylee walk out of her room with Tyler.

Rylee wore a pair of dark denim straight leg jeans with a light purple halter shirt. On her wrist hung the charm bracelet that Tyler had given her for her 18th birthday, and on her left hand sparkled her diamond engagement ring. The black heels that adorned her feet added at least two more inches to her height. "You guys, you don't have to take me out. We could just get some drinks here." She turned to Tyler with a grin. "Tyler can be our personal bartender and maybe even our stripper."

Tyler's mouth fell open dramatically. "I am not to be passed around like a toy, ladies."

"That's not completely true," Rylee corrected him and grabbed a handful of his shirt in her left hand, pulling him closer. "You're my toy."

Her fiancé raised his eyebrow high into his hair line and smirked. "Can you take her out tomorrow night?" Tyler asked the girls, though his eyes were on Rylee.

Paige faked a small gag as River said, "Nope, she is ours tonight Ty."

He heaved a heavy sigh and reluctantly let go of the girl he held in his arms. "Fine, but when she gets home, she's mine."

"Yeah, well good luck with that," River giggled as she opened the door. "She probably won't be coherent when she gets back."

Before Tyler could say anything, Paige shoved Rylee out the door with River and Blake right behind her.

"Bye babe!" Rylee shouted over her shoulder.

Once outside, Rylee grinned at her friends. "So who's the designated driver tonight? 'Cause it's certainly not going to be me." She started walking to where Paige had parked her car but was steered down the sidewalk instead.

"We are walking lazy ass. It's not far from here," Blake said, linking arms with the birthday girl.

"And when it comes to a designated driver, we don't need one, Ryl's." River pointed to Paige who walked next to her. "We have our very own teleporter."

"Isn't drunk teleporting and drunk driving along the same lines?" Rylee laughed at herself as they continued to stroll down the brightly lit street.

Paige thought about it for a second. "Nope, not one bit because I'm not really going anywhere….just less than a second of traveling and poof I'm at my destination."

After a good twenty minute walk, they made it to a large club, where a line of people roped off by a red velvet rope stood outside waiting to get in. River groaned in annoyance as she stepped behind the last person at the very back of the line.

"Uh, what do you think you're doing?" Paige asked from the other side of the rope. "Come on." The other girls did as she said and followed her to the very front where the bouncer was. "Hey Danny!"

A man with large tanned arm muscles smiled stupidly at her. "Paige." He gave her a nod and without hesitation, lifted the rope, allowing them to cut the line.

Paige grinned and gave Danny a sly wink before leading her friends into the double doors of one of Boston's most popular clubs. Next to her, Rylee stared at her in disbelief.

"What?" Paige shrugged, speaking over the loud music. "He's in one of my classes at school. Now let's get some drinks!"

Once at the bar, Paige ordered a large variety of drinks, some of the names that came out of her mouth, Rylee didn't to recognize. As River waited with Paige for the drinks, Blake pulled Rylee across the dance floor toward a corner booth that had a view of the entire place.

The dance area was lifted half a foot above the surrounding floor, making the dancing bodies look as if they were on some sort of a stage. Several dozens of cushioned booths scattered the outer walls of the club, allowing those who were not so coordinated or those who needed rest to have a place to hang out.

Minutes later, Paige and River found the girls, bringing with them two large trays holding their drinks. "That's a lot of alcohol," Rylee pointed out as her dark haired friend handed her one of the many shots that scattered the tray.

Blake held the drink high in the air and spoke loudly so she was heard over the blaring music. "Here's to our friendship that has never wavered and never will!"

"Here's to your and Tyler's engagement!" Paige grinned, copying Blake's movement and held her drink in the air.

River held her own drink up and said, "Here's to our little Rylee growing up and turning 21...Happy Birthday Ryl's!"

"Cheers!" Rylee grinned, and with that the four girls downed their shots and moved onto seconds.

Several shots and a few mixed drinks later, Rylee, Paige, Blake and River found their way to the middle of the dance floor where they let the music and drinks take over their bodies.

A tall, dark eyed man with a sharp jaw line licked his lips as he watched Rylee sway her hips from side to side to the beat. In one move, he grabbed her hips and pulled her flush against his body. His breath reeked of alcohol and he was obviously way past wasted. "Wanna get outta here?" he said in her ear loud enough for the other girls to hear. A look of disgust flashed over Rylee's face.

Before she could do anything, Blake interfered taking Rylee's left hand and held it level to the mans face. "Easy man," she pointed to the engagement ring. "She's taken so beat it."

The girls giggled as the cocky man and his wounded ego walked away only to find another girl to hit on within seconds, his ego back in check.

Three hours later, the four stumbled into the bathroom, their high-pitched giggles vibrated off the walls. "Let's get out off here," Blake spoke with overlapping words.

"Hello, anyone in here?" Rylee shouted drunkenly, making sure no one occupied any of the stalls. Thankfully they were the only ones in the bathroom, allowing them to teleport safely and without notice.

"Alright, birthday girl first," Paige grabbed Rylee's hand in hers before turning to the other two. "I'll be back for you girls after I take this one home." Her words were slurred but still clearer than the others, as she did not consume as much alcohol as her friends. She wanted to at least be able to teleport to the right place.

Rylee giggled and waved goodbye to Blake and River as Paige's eyes bled pink around the iris and then disappeared. Less than a second later, the two reappeared in the living room of the apartment Rylee and Tyler shared together.

A yell came from behind them and they turned to see Tyler clutching at his heart, his breathing slightly uneven. "Geez, Peanut! You could warn a guy next time… you scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry Ty," Paige grinned and swayed, feeling the buzz from the alcohol.

"Hey baby!" Rylee shrieked eagerly as she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

Tyler chuckled at his fiancée and scooped her up in his arms, holding her bridal style. "What did you girls do to her?"

Paige shrugged. "Make sure she gets lots of water…she drank like the best of them tonight."

"Great," Tyler said to himself, looking down at the girl in his arms whose eyelids seemed to become heavy over her glassy eyes. "Ready for some sleep, sweetie?"

Rylee gave two small nods and curled closer to his chest, taking a deep breath.

"Bye Ryl's," Paige whispered as her eyes flashed pink, preparing to go back to the club so she could take River and Blake home as well. "Bye Ty. Take care of her," she said before teleporting out of the apartment, leaving the couple alone.

When Paige disappeared, Tyler carried his future wife to their bedroom and laid her carefully on the bed. He pulled off her strappy heels then gently removed her jeans and shirt, replacing them with a pair of shorts and one of his T-shirts.

After removing his own shirt, he crawled into his own side of the bed and climbed under the covers. Tyler leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before closing his eyes, drifting into a deep slumber.

* * *

"Did I ever tell you that I hate you?" Rylee said as she handed her menu to the waitress after her and River ordered their food. They both had a break between classes and made a plan on meeting each other for lunch that day.

"Yes," River snorted in laughter. "What's your reason for hating me this time though?"

"I'm pretty sure I still have a hangover from you guys taking me out the night after my birthday," Rylee joked as River laughed loudly.

As they waited for their lunch to arrive, River looked at Rylee's hand and couldn't help but smile as she noticed the engagement ring. "So little Miss Ryl's, how's the engaged life?"

Rylee grinned madly. "River, I've only been engaged for what, two months?"

"And how many days? I know you've been keeping count…down to the hour."

A burst of laughter escaped the blue eyed girl. "You're right, it's been two months, three weeks and four days…."

River raised her eyebrow before asking, "How many hours?"

"It's going on fourteen," Rylee responded while the blonde haired waitress set two plates down onto the table. They thanked her and continued on with their conversation.

"Aw, Rylee you're so in love."

Rylee beamed at the truthfulness of her friend's statement and took a bite of her pasta. Between bites she asked, "So who do you think is next?"

"Next?" River questioned with a full mouth of spaghetti.

"Yeah next, as in engaged to be married, start a family and so on."

River tossed her head to get her dark hair out of her eyes, a look of concentration on her face as she thought carefully. "Pogue and Blake."

"You think?" Rylee poked a few noodles with her fork before bringing it to her mouth. "Well, I was thinking you and Caleb were next in line. Actually, I thought you would be the first to marry."

A pale pink colored River's cheeks as she blushed deeply. "What? No, no, no." She shook her head from back and forth laughing. After a few seconds, she stopped, looking thoughtful. "You think? I mean I know we would eventually, but you think so soon?"

Now it was Rylee's turn to laugh. "Duh! River, you guys have been dating for longer than Tyler and I have. And I believe that when we first met the guys, Caleb took a liking to you right away."

River waved her hand, knocking away the statement. "Yeah but so did Pogue and Tyler with Blake and you."

Rylee rolled her eyes at River's stubbornness. "Fine. But my bet's on you, Miss Daniels. Give it a year." She pointed her fork at her friend. "A year and you will be walking down an isle in a beautiful church all dressed in white."


	33. Chapter 33

Ch. 33

A year later:

"River, guess what?" Blake smiled from next to her best friend as they walked through Harvard's campus together, books piled high in their hands.

River glanced at her blonde friend with a quizzical brow. "What?"

With a small giggle building up from within her chest, she shouted, "You're getting married soon!"

A small shriek of excitement rushed from River's lips as she nearly jumped up and down with joy, almost dropping her school books. "Can you believe it? By next week I will be married. Wow."

"The married life's pretty fun from what I hear," Blake adjusted the books in her arms. "Every time I'm with Rylee she won't stop talking about it." She smiled as she thought of her younger friend. "She crazy head over heels for that boy."

"Aren't we all like that with our guys?" River said with a shrug. "They're pretty much perfect."

Blake laughed once. "Well I wouldn't say perfect, but they sure are pretty damn close." She paused when she heard her and River's names be called. "Speaking of the handsome devils..."

From distance, they saw Caleb and Pogue jogging towards them, their school bags hanging heavily on their shoulders. "Hey baby," Caleb said before placing a tender kiss on her lips. Blake greeted Pogue in the same manner.

"Aw look at the happy couple," Pogue crooned as he took the books out of his girlfriend's arms.

"Leave them alone, Pogue," Blake scolded gently, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow. "We'll see you guys later." She winked at the two then turned and walked with Pogue to the parking lot.

"So, my soon-to-be-husband," River nuzzled her nose in the crook of Caleb's neck where she rested her head. "What are the plans for tonight?"

Caleb wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I say it's a stay at home kinda night. Maybe some dinner and dessert…then after how about a treat," He whispered huskily in River's ear causing a smirk to cross her lips.

* * *

The weather outside was a crisp autumn air. The leaves on the trees were colored as if each one was hand painted. Red, brown, orange and yellow leaves fluttered to the ground and piled near the roots of the tree trunks, some falling onto the roof of a large church with stained windows and a high steeple.

Inside the castle, in front of the alter, River stood in an elegant laced white strapless dress that flowed to the ground, hiding her perfect pedicure. Her dark hair was curled and pulled out of her face, her beautiful dark eyes rested on the man she stood before.

With a clear voice the minister said, "I now pronounce you man and wife. Caleb Danvers, you my kiss your bride."

Caleb grinned and pulled River by the waist, closing the space between them, their lips crashing together in a heated kiss. The church rang loud of clapping hands as the on-lookers applauded and shouted their approval.

River grinned madly at her husband and kissed him once more before the couple turned to face their guests. As they walked down the isle hand in hand, both with large smiles on their faces. They spotted Kevin and Lucy among the crowd, the older pair waved and Lucy gave them both a swift wink as they passed.

"We're married!" River threw her arms around Caleb kissing him again. She ran her French tipped manicured fingers softly over his lips. "I love you, Caleb Danvers."

Caleb cupped his wife's face with his hands and kissed her forehead gently. "I love you, Mrs. River Danvers."

River's heart skipped several beats as Caleb put his last name onto her first. "Mrs. Danvers," she repeated in a whisper with her eyes closed and a smile on her lips. "I like how that sounds."

"Now my beautiful wife," Caleb grabbed her hand, holding it to his side. "Let's hurry to our reception so we can get to the honeymoon." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Caleb!" River swatted him on the shoulder, laughing. "So can't I get a hint about where our honeymoon is?" She pouted slightly hoping to possibly make him cave in.

"I don't think so love." He kissed her temple as they walked out together to where a white stretch Hummer limo waited; a 'just married' sign hung on the back tinted window.

River hopped into the limo with Caleb right behind. She curled into his side, completely content, words unable to describe how she felt at that moment. She had everything in her life that she ever wanted or needed; she had her loving mother and a step father. Tony was like her father, he had raised River along with her mom, giving her anything she wanted. She had the greatest friends in the entire world, friends that she had been through so much with.

Rylee, Blake and Paige were her sisters. Sharing the same blood couldn't make them any closer than they already were or would ever be. How close she had gotten to Reid, Pogue, and Tyler surprised her greatly. They grew to be her brothers; protective, caring, and there for her whenever she needed them. She honestly couldn't picture her life without any of them.

And then there was Caleb; her love, her life, her husband; the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

* * *

At the reception ceremony, Rylee sat side by side, both patiently waiting for the newlyweds to arrive to their reception. One of his hands wrapped around her left hand; around the ring finger of his left hand sat a white gold wedding band that matched the one Rylee wore along with her diamond ring. The pair had now been married for five happy months.

In the chair next to them, Paige chatted enthusiastically with Blake, their laughter flittering in the air lightly as Reid and Pogue stood behind them. Both men's gazes scanned the tables of guests, knowing that some of the attending people were not at all close to the wedded pair.

Just as the chatter started to get overly loud, the doors to the reception hall opened, revealing Caleb and River with their fingers intertwined. People stood and applauded as the bride and groom walked down the center of the room to a long table where the bridesmaids and groomsmen sat. The table sat on a small stage that rose over everyone else, allowing them full view of the hall.

Once the couple and their guests had finished a small dinner course, the hired DJ for the night spoke over the microphone. With a soft and soothing voice he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, now that your bellies are full and content, it is time for the bride and groom to share their first dance."

Caleb stood, helped River out of her own chair then walked slowly to the dance floor. He spun River in a circle before pulling her close with his arms wrapped around her waist, his dark eyes gazing into her chocolate colored eyes. River's heart swelled as "Completely" by Jennifer Day started playing and they started to sway to the music. Her arms linked themselves around his shoulders and pulled herself to his chest.

As they spun in slow circles, River felt as if they were the only two people in the room, the only two in the world at that moment. She knew that from that moment on, Caleb would be the only man she had eyes for. He would forever hold her heart.

"Did I tell you how amazing you look?" Caleb asked as he pushed back a stray piece of hair that had fallen into her face.

River grinned and shook her head. "Not in at least an hour."

Caleb kissed her lips, a kiss that made River's heart stutter in happiness. "Well, you look gorgeous…more beautiful than an angel."

"Is that so," River murmured against his mouth and took a deep breath. "You're my prince charming, Mr. Danvers. Forever and always."

"And you are my angel." He gave her a chaste kiss, resting his forehead against hers as the song came to an end.

Hours later, after the father-daughter dance and the mother-son dance, and the cutting of the wedding cake, it was time for a little more fun.

River sat in a chair that was set in the middle of the dance floor, all of her friends and family crowded around her in a large circle. Only one other single person stood within the circle. Caleb was on his knees before her, a devilish grin on his handsome face. He winked at his wife before ducking under her wedding dress.

River blushed deeply as she felt Caleb's teeth graze the skin of her thigh where the lace garter rested on her leg. Wolf whistles and cat calls were heard from the audience making her pink blushed face turn to the shade of crimson.

Moments later, Caleb reappeared holding the garter that had once been secure on River's thigh, hanging from his mouth. With all of the single guys standing in a certain spot, Caleb threw the garter to that particular area and watched as two teenage boys fight over the lace article.

Next, it was River's turn to toss the wedding bouquet. All of the single women gathered in a group, some trying to push and shove their way to the front to get a better chance at catching the assorted flowers.

"Alright single ladies," River said with her back to the group. On three she threw the bouquet and quickly turned to see what lucky lady would catch it.

An excited squeal came from the center of the bunch and the crowd parted, allowing River to see Blake holding the wedding bouquet in her hands. Paige stood next to her grinning then glanced at River then her eyes found where her boyfriend was standing with Pogue.

Reid smirked and turned to his friend, clapping him on the shoulder. "Looks like you're next, Parry." Pogue smiled but said nothing, his eyes on his girlfriend.

A few more songs of dancing and several conversations later, River and Caleb bid farewell to their guests and walked with their friends to the front where the limo sat, waiting to take them to the airport.

"Bye!" Paige, Rylee and Blake hugged their friend tightly. Reid, Pogue and Tyler each hugged the new bride, congratulating her with a kiss on the cheek while the girls said their goodbyes to Caleb.

"Have fun!" Rylee called as the couple climbed into the limo.

"Be safe!" Blake waved from next to Pogue, his arms around her waist.

"Use protection!" Reid yelled just as the limo pulled away.

* * *

A half an hour later, River boarded the private jet with Caleb that would take them to their unknown destination. After changing into appropriate traveling clothes, she curled into Caleb's side, resting her head on his chest.

A small smile formed on her lips as she thought back to earlier that morning, minutes before the wedding ceremony started.

_Flashback_

_River stood in front of a fancy full length mirror that was hung on the wall of the dressing room inside of the large church. She ignored the tugs, the pulls and the fussing coming from her three best friends as they fixed and altered her dress and her veil. _

"_Okay, so she has something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue," Paige checked off her mental list. "Oh, I almost forgot." She ran to the couch and reached into a small bag. "Can't forget this."_

_Rylee and Blake turned to see Paige holding up a lacey garter. "This my dear, is for you. Maybe at the reception Caleb can take it off with his teeth." _

_Blake grinned at her dark haired friend whose attention was now on Paige, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Paige!" The bride-to-be scolded._

"_What?" Blake said with a laugh. "You don't want him to?" She adjusted the ribbon that was wrapped around her waist. _

_Being her best friends for nearly nine years, Rylee, Blake and Paige were her bridesmaids; and since she couldn't decide on one single person to be her Maid of Honor, River chose all three of them. It wasn't normal but it was her wedding, so she did whatever she wanted. All three of them wore black knee length strapless dresses with a hot pink satin ribbon wrapped around their waists. A pair of black strappy heels adorned their feet._

_Rylee giggled and pointed at the garter. "Who's gonna put it on her?" Paige raised an eyebrow, her blue eyes on River._

"_Oh, for gods sake give it here." Blake took the garter out of Paige's hand and ducked under River's wedding dress. A half a minute passed before she returned, straightening her blonde hair and dress. "There."_

River laughed, feeling her nerves she felt lessen as she did so. "Thanks, Blake. You're a trooper."

_A soft knock sounded on the door and River's mother peeked her head inside. "River, the ceremony starts in-" Mary broke off as she stared at her daughter, draped in a gorgeous lace, white strapless wedding gown. Her long dark hair was curled and pulled away from her face. "Oh, my little girl. You look beautiful."_

_River beamed as her mother approached her, the train of her dress trailing behind her. "Thank you." She embraced her for a short time before her stepfather, Tony walked in. _

_"It's time," he said. Paige, Rylee and Blake squealed with joy as they raced out of the room. River, Tony and Mary walked out right behind them._

_From behind the large oak doors River could hear the chatter of the many guests that sat in the pews. Through the crack in the door she could see the minister standing in the front of the church dressed in his robes. _

_The wedding party stood a few feet away, talking quietly as they took their spots to proceed down the isle. River's stepfather Tony pulled her to the side as the doors opened so she wouldn't be seen until the wedding march. _

"_Breath," he said softly in her ear as Blake and Pogue walked through the doors. Not being able to reply verbally, River nodded and took a deep breath to try to slow her heart rate. _

_The doors closed after the rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked through them, allowing River and Tony to take their place. _

_The wedding march started to play softly and moments later the oak doors opened a second time, revealing the blushing bride to all who occupied the church. Stepping into full view, she heard the 'awes' and the 'wows' of the guests as they took in her appearance. Her eyes immediately found Caleb who stood at the front of the church with the minister. _

_As she walked down the isle, the only thing she could see was the man she was to marry, the sight of him took her breath away. Caleb wore a crisp black tux, looking more handsome as she had ever seen him. He grinned back at her, though he had to control his breathing, for his heart started to beat faster. _

_At the end of their walk, Tony kissed River's cheek and gave her hand to Caleb. River handed her bouquet of flowers to Blake then took her place before the minister. The robed man spoke to everyone as he said, "Dearly beloved we are gather together here in the sign of God- and in the face of this company- to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony…"_

_As the minister spoke, River gazed at Caleb, his eyes intently on her as well. She could feel the love he felt for her radiating off of him and he knew she felt the same. Caleb squeezed her hands that rested in his and mouthed, "I love you." _

* * *

The warm Fiji sun on her bare back and the comfort of the one she loved next to her had River refusing to open her eyes. The shallow breathing and the slight movement next to her told her that Caleb was awake, but like her, he was unwilling to get up.

Slowly, River lifted her eyelids and smiled sleepily when she met the handsome face of her husband. "Good morning, my wife." Caleb leaned forward, placing his lips on hers to steal a kiss.

"Mmm," she hummed against his lips making the kiss linger longer.

"You ready to get up?" Caleb asked, tracing her arms with his fingertips, small goose bumps followed the trail where his hands went.

River shook her head and wrapped her arms around his bare chest, holding him in place so he couldn't move. He laughed and pulled her closer, a contented sigh left him as he let out a breath.

"Don't get too comfy, Mr. Danvers," River said with a clearer voice, the sleepiness disappearing. She dragged her nails down his chest, leaving soft pink lines behind.

Caleb smirked. "Why not, Mrs. Danvers?" He looked down at her to see that her normally brown eyes were now glowing green embers, a smirk on her mouth.

"Because," she pulled herself up so they came face to face, her lips centimeters from his. "This is our honeymoon, isn't it?"


	34. Chapter 34

Ch. 34

"It's so nice to be back," Blake sighed in content as her, River, Rylee and Paige drove down the deserted streets of Ipswich on the way to the Elliot's mansion.

Rylee nodded from where she sat next to River in the back seat. "Yeah, it is. It's been too long," she said with a happy smile.

It had been nearly sixth months since they had last been back to Ipswich. With River planning her wedding then getting married, Blake dealing with finals at school, Rylee's internship, Tyler and Pogue's jobs, and Reid and Paige having classes almost everyday, a trip to Ipswich couldn't fit into their busy schedules.

It was summer now though, so their busy schedules had been cleared and replaced by loads of free time, and a trip back home seemed like a good cure for their boredom. Even though Rylee, Blake and River had grown up in Los Angeles, they considered Ipswich to be their home away from home, not including their homes in Boston.

Blake turned in her seat to glance back at the car behind her where her fiancé was riding with the rest of the Sons. Only three months ago, Pogue proposed to Blake and they were to be married in two weeks at the Parry estate. Blake had always wanted a June wedding and was just as excited about planning it as River had been with her own wedding.

A car horn blared loudly from behind, startling the girls. Paige looked in her rearview mirror to see Tyler's black Hummer close to the bummer of her car. Tyler, Pogue, Reid and Caleb were laughing hysterically in their seats.

River clutched at her heart and flipped off the laughing guys behind her. "That was so not cool!" she said through her laughter.

Paige grinned as an idea formed in her mind. She glanced around to make sure the road was still deserted. "Take the wheel," she said to Blake.

"Huh?" Blake asked, confused at the request.

"Take the wheel," she repeated, and knocked the gear from drive to neutral once Blake had taken the steering wheel. The iris of her eyes flashed pink and with a swift wink to her friends she disappeared from the drivers seat, seconds later reappearing in the Hummer between Caleb and Pogue.

Before they knew what was going on she said, "That was not very nice, boys." Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her eyebrow raised and a smirk was on her lips.

Pogue and Caleb yelled in surprise and threw themselves against the car doors, both clinging to the handles. Reid cursed loudly and Tyler jerked the wheel to the left, swerving out of his lane and into the other. With a laugh, Paige leaned forward and placed a kiss on her boyfriends cheek before teleporting out of Tyler's car.

Once Paige returned to the drivers seat of her blue Mazda Rx8, she shifted the gear back into drive and took hold of the wheel. The sound of laughter assaulted her ears, the girls were doubled over with tears falling down their faces as they tried to catch their breath.

After a minute Rylee sighed."That was the funniest thing I have ever seen in my entire life."

Paige grinned then looked to the passenger seat where Blake sat. "You're fiancé nearly peed his pants."

"Aw, our macho men." Rylee rolled her eyes as they pulled into the driveway of her old home where Paige's mother Kassandra still lived.

Once at a complete stop, Reid jumped out of the car and raced to Paige's car. The other guys got out slower then him and watched their blonde friend in amusement. Paige, who just opened her door, saw him coming and squealed as she ran from him.

Rylee, Blake, River and the guys greeted each other before proceeding to watch Paige run from Reid, her legs moving as fast as they could go.

"Reid!" Paige giggled as he started to gain ground on her. Within seconds, he grabbed her waist from behind and pulled her to him. "That wasn't very nice, Miss Elliot."

"I thought it was funny, Mr. Garwin." Paige shrugged, leaning into his touch. "It's good to be home."

"Paige Elliot!" Paige jerked her head to the left to see her mother standing in the doorway of the giant house. "Get over here and give your mother a hug!"

With a smile, Paige ran to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you more. Oh, I just set the table," Kassandra said after giving Rylee, Blake, River and the Sons hugs hello and ushered them into the house. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

After a fulfilling meal of chicken pot pie and green beans, Kassandra smiled at her daughter and the ones who were like her own. "It's so nice to have a full house again. It's been eerily quiet here without all of you running in and out of the house…..but then again, I enjoy the quiet at times," she said with a laugh.

Paige stood up, grabbing her plate and Tyler's who sat next to her. "I'll get the dishes," she said, stopping Kassandra from standing from her chair. "Since you made dinner."

"We'll help," Blake said, nudging Pogue in the side as she went to stand.

"No, it's okay I got it." Paige smiled as she walked from the table and toward the kitchen. "You guys chit chat." She added a wink before pushing back the white swinging door.

She set the plates onto the kitchen counter, turned on the sink faucet and decided to grab the rest of the dishes from the dining room as the sink filled with soapy water. When she turned around she found Reid standing in her way holding a large pile of dishes in his arms.

"What's this?" Paige smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. Reid rolled his eyes as he walked past her.

"What does it look like?" he said, setting down his dishes down in the soapy water and turned to Paige. "I'm being a nice boyfriend and helping out my wonderful girlfriend."

After, all of the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, Paige jumped to sit on the counter and Reid stood in front of her between her legs. "Thanks for helping." She kissed his lips, swinging her legs like a little child.

"Let's go out tonight," Reid said, his lips right by her ear. "Just you and me."

Paige smiled into his shoulder where she rested her head lightly. "Okay."

Reid grinned and lifted her off the counter, placing her feet to the ground. "We leave in an hour," he informed as he headed to the living room where the rest of the gang were hanging out, stopping with his hand on the door when Paige called to him.

"What's the occasion?" she asked with one hand resting on her hip. "Anything special?"

Reid brought a hand to his face, tapping his fingers lightly against his chin. He shrugged his shoulders and smirked not really answering her question when he said, "Wear something cute."

Paige watched him leave and when he was out of view she glanced down at her outfit that consisted of a pair of ripped dirty jeans and a plain white t-shirt. _I definitely need to change. _

As she walked from the kitchen and made her way up the stairs to her old bedroom, she glanced at the mirror that hung on the wall in the hallway, seeing her reflection. Her hair was windblown and a mess, as was her makeup. _Maybe I need a shower, too._

* * *

Paige sat in the passenger seat of her own car, Reid once again demanded that he drive. After several outfit changes, she decided to wear a pair of tight black skinny jeans, a red long sleeved v-neck shirt and a black scarf. On her feet she wore a pair of black knee high boots that accentuated her legs.

Reid glanced from the road, his eyes landing on the girl who sat next to him. A smile formed on his lips as he watched her stare out the window. He watched a look of confusion run over her face as he brought the car to a slow stop on the side of the dark road. "Why'd you stop?" Paige turned to face her boyfriend but found that he was not there. "Reid?"

She jumped when her door opened. Reid stood outside the car with his hand held out, offering to help her from the car.

With an eyebrow raised skeptically, Paige placed her hand in his and stepped out into the chilly night air of June. A small shiver ran up her spine as a gust of wind blew by her, rustling her hair. She pulled herself closer to Reid for warmth. "Reid, where-"

"Shh," he hushed gently as he closed the door behind her then turned to face her. "Close your eyes."

Doing as she was told, Paige closed her eyes and within a second felt Reid's arms wrap around her, holding her tight.

With her eyes still closed, Paige felt a familiar sensation, one that was quite similar to the feeling she had when she teleported. She shivered for the second time as a colder wind hit her body. Lifting one eyelid, she saw that the scenery around her had changed. The trees that had once surrounded her had been replaced by the open space.

The smell of salty air filled her nostrils and the sound of crashing waves reached her ears. Opening both eyes, Paige noticed that her and Reid stood on top of the cliffs overlooking the Dells. From the corner of her eye she saw a small flicker of light.

She turned and saw a large blanket set on the ground, a dozen candles surrounded it. In the middle sat a single red rose. A small grin tugged at her lips. The layout reminded her greatly of the first time Reid had confessed his feeling for her so long ago. The only difference now was that a small a bottle of wine that was placed next to the rose.

"Reid," Paige breathed softly, grabbing his hand and walked with him to the blanket. "It's beautiful." Reid smiled the smile that he only used for Paige and kissed her lips once they sat down.

After pouring the wine, Reid took a sip and waited until he had Paige's full attention before speaking. "Paige, you're amazing. Ever since I-," he paused and took a deep breath, starting over his sentence. "When I first heard you were coming back I was furious…because you and I didn't get along when we were younger. But when I saw you for the first time in over five years something clicked. From that moment I knew that I wanted you, that I needed you. And that scared me."

Grabbing her hands in his he pulled her closer. A small gust of wind passed by the couple, making the flames on the candles waver and Paige to shiver.

To keep her warm, Reid turned Paige so her back was to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her allowing the warmth of his body to warm her. "Being the bad boy and the ladies man of Ipswich was my thing… it was my title for so many years. And when you came back, I felt like it changed everything. That was also something that scared me."

Paige smiled faintly to herself as she waited for him to continue. She loved the fact that he had become so open with her, even though it took a while for him to do in the beginning of their relationship. "I'm glad I changed and I'm glad you came back. I don't know what would have happened to me if you didn't. I don't know where I would be right now."

"You would have been the same person you are now, Reid," Paige said as she snuggled closer to him. "I just helped you out a bit."

Reid laughed a bit to himself. If it were not for Paige, he knew he would have become addicted to the power. And because of Paige and her friends, him and his Covenant brothers, nor the future heirs of the Covenant would have to suffer from the curse that came with the power.

He expressed what he was on his mind then added, "You girls saved us."

Paige placed her hand on his left hand that was wrapped around her stomach. "It was our destiny. We were meant to be together, Reid."

The words she said were the words he had waited for. Letting his eyes flash with fire before bleeding completely black, Reid materialized a red box from nowhere. A white ribbon was tied delicately around it.

"What's this?" Paige asked as the box floated in front of her. Slowly, it drifted to her open palm that she held out. Reid reached from behind her and took the box from her, pulled the ribbon and let it fall to the ground.

Paige's heart beat faster as Reid lifted a white velvet box from within the larger red one. She glanced back at him to see an excited look on his face. With one swift movement, Reid crawled around Paige, so once again he sat in front of her, the velvet box still in his hands.

"Paige," Reid lifted himself to one knee, his blue eyes sparkling as he gazed into hers. "I love you more than anything." With his thumb he wiped away a single tear that had fallen down Paige's face. "Will you marry me?"

A small cry of happiness escaped her as she flung her arms around him, bringing her lips to his in a sweet kiss. She felt a grin break across his face making her kiss him even harder. Reid chuckled against her lips, his voice muffled as he jokingly said, "Come on, Paige don't tease me. Answer the question."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Paige pulled away from him, allowing him to open the velvet box which held the engagement ring. Still grinning, the blonde Son of Ipswich placed a platinum ring onto Paige's left hand ring finger. The 2 carat pear shaped diamond that sat upon the ring sparkled in the bright moonlight.

"Oh my god," Paige brought her left hand in front of her face. "Reid, it's beautiful!" She grabbed his face in between her hands and kissed him hard. "I love you. So much."

Reid smiled, the gesture reached his eyes. "I love you more." He kissed her nose gently, causing a giggle of delight escape her. She grinned as she stared at him, her giddiness overflowing.

"You want to go tell everyone don't you?" Reid asked, knowing what she was thinking. Paige nodded her head vigorously as she bit her lip, still smiling. Not even waiting for him to respond, her eyes flashed pink as she grabbed Reid and teleported both of them back to her mother's house.

She teleported them into the middle of the living room, causing a small squeal to escape her three friends. They jumped up from the couch and stared at the couple expectantly. The entire group knew that Reid was to propose that night and all were waiting anxiously for their return.

Paige allowed a dramatic silence to fall over them before she held up her left hand, showing off the beautiful ring. "You're looking at the future Mrs. Garwin!"

* * *

Two months after Blake and Pogue's elegant June wedding, Reid and Paige exchanged their own wedding vows. Their August wedding was low key, being more intimate than her best friends weddings, only their closest of relatives were invited. When Demi heard of the couples engagement, she was ecstatic, she had always thought of Paige as her own daughter. Secretly, Demi and Kassandra knew that Reid and Paige would end up together. Call it a mother's intuition.

Two months after the wedding, Paige stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection but not really seeing herself. She was in shock, her heart thudded uncomfortably against her chest. With a shaky hand, Paige glanced down at the pregnancy test she held.

Snapping out of her trance, Paige quickly found the link that connected her telepathically to her best friends. _Guys, I think…I think I'm…_

She couldn't finish the sentence. She didn't know what to do or what to think. She was shocked and had to admit, a little scared.

Panic and worry rushed over the connection she shared with Rylee, Blake and River. _Paige, what's wrong? _

One more time, Paige glimpsed down at the test, then answered, _I'm pregnant._

_Oh my god! _Rylee squeaked. _How do you know? _

Paige couldn't help but laugh and roll her eyes at her young friend and her cluelessness she sometimes had. _I took a pregnancy test. I've taken two and apparently, I'm pregnant. _

_How far along do you think?_ Blake asked sounding extremely happy.

Shrugging to herself, Paige replied, _Maybe 2 months? _She guessed then paused before she spoke again. _Guys, I don't know how Reid will react to this. Yeah, we talked about kids before but, so soon? I mean we're only in our twenties. Early twenties for that matter. _

"I don't know if we can do this,"she said both to Rylee, River and Blake and her reflection.

Being the mostly calm and level-headed one, River waved away all of Paige's doubts. _You can do this, Paige. You and Reid will make great parents, trust me. You're just in shock right now. So, what I want you to do is calm down and breath. Can you do that for me? _

Paige nodded though she knew River couldn't see the gesture. _Okay, you're right. _She took a breath and shut her eyes, tearing her gaze from her frightened reflection. _I just need to relax. _A comfortable silence fell among the four best friends; Blake, River and Rylee silently supporting their blue-eyed friend.

A few moments passed before the silence was broken. _We're happy for you, Paige._

A faint smile came to her lips as she placed a hand on her stomach. They didn't need Paige to say anything else, they felt her gratitude. One by one the connection was broken and Paige was left to her own thoughts, though she knew she was not really alone.

After the shock faded, the idea of being pregnant with the baby of the man she loved more than anything in the world thrilled her. Though she knew Reid would love to be a father, his initial reaction was unpredictable.

Sudden, footsteps coming up the stairs broke her from her thoughts. Butterflies fluttered madly around her stomach sending unwanted nerves to wash through her body. From her spot on the bed, Paige called to her husband when she heard him in the hallway.

"Hey Mrs. Garwin," he said. He quickly noticed something was on his wife's mind. Reid knelt down in front of her, his face full of worry. "Paige, what's wrong?"

With her eyes on him the entire time, Paige took a deep breath, the butterflies starting to do back flips inside of her. "Reid there's something I need to tell you," she started with a soft voice and grabbed his hands in hers. "I'm pregnant. That is, _we__'re_ pregnant."

A blank look came across his face and he dropped her hands, stood then slowly walked away from her. Shocked and slightly hurt by his lack of response, Paige sat in silence and waited for him to speak.

After several long minutes, he asked, "I'm gonna be a….a dad?" His back was to her so the words floated across the room to her in a whisper.

"Yes," she replied in a voice that was barely audible but made no move toward her husband of only a few months. Silence once again fell among the couple, Paige grew more anxious with every passing second.

A sniffle broke the still air. Paige's eyes focused on Reid's back in disbelief. "Are you crying?"

Reid turned to her and she saw that unshed tears were pooled in his crystal blue eyes, two stray ones fell down his face. "I'm going to be a dad." He smiled and walked quickly to his wife, grabbing her face in his hands. "We're going to have a baby, Paige."

She reached up and wiped away the stray tears with her thumb as she nodded her head. "We're going to have a baby," she repeated with a smile before Reid kissed her lips. His hands slid from her face, past her shoulder's and came to a rest on her stomach. He leveled his face with his hand and lifted Paige's shirt, exposing her belly. His lips touched her skin gently.

"Hey, my son," he said, gently.

Relieved, happy, excited, and giddy, Paige snorted in laughter. "What makes you think we're having a boy? What if it's a girl?"

Reid stood suddenly, straightening his spine. "Well, our families have always had sons. The power only goes to the first born male."

"Hm." Paige placed her hands on his chest, smoothing out his white graphic tee. "Well things might be different this time around. Yeah, the power usually goes to the first born male but that was when the Covenant members married normal people, and I'm sorry to break it to you honey…us girls aren't normal." She smirked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "So, in a few months we will go to the doctor and find out the sex of the baby."

"A baby. Wow," Reid said slightly breathless, then a smirk flashed across his face. "I'm gonna be a kick ass dad!"


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Two months later: 

Pogue ran a hand through his dark blonde hair as he pulled the key to his apartment from his jean pocket. He was about to open the door when it swung open, and Blake stood before him, her eyes pink and watery from crying.

Instantly, Pogue was worried. He stepped inside, closed the door and pulled his wife to his chest. "Baby, what's wrong?" His lips touched her temple as he rocked her back and forth in comfort.

Blake sobbed and clung to him, her hands balled up tightly in his black T-shirt. Pogue held her at arms length to have a better look at her and was caught off guard to see that she was smiling through her tears.

"Blake?" he asked, suddenly confused.

"Pogue, I'm pregnant!" Blake whispered, bringing her hands to cup his face. "I'm pregnant!" She repeated and threw her arms around him, hugging him with all her might.

"Seriously?" he asked with his arms hanging limply at his sides. Blake laughed in his ear and pulled away from him, seeing a dumbstruck look on her husband's face.

"Yes, seriously," she said. "I took a gazillion pregnancy tests to be sure. We're gonna be parents!"

He let out a long whistle and ran a hand through his hair for the second time. With a smile on his handsome face he glanced down at her belly. "A son."

Blake laughed and threw her hands in the air. "Why do you Sons insist that the babies are going to be boys? Reid said the same thing when Paige told him she was pregnant." She paused and smiled. "And I agree with her. You guys didn't marry just anyone. We aren't normal, therefore the whole 'Covenant' norm isn't going to be normal either. Not anymore. We just might have a girl."

With a fake dramatic sigh he placed a hand on his wife's cheek. "Ah, honey." He kissed her forehead gently before whispering, "The baby will be a boy. Have you told the others yet?"

He walked toward the living room with Blake following, their arms wrapped around each other.

"No, not yet," Blake answered as they both took a seat on the couch. "I'm meeting them for dinner. Actually I should go or I will be late." As she stood Pogue's hand closed around her wrist, stopping her from moving. He lifted himself from the couch so he towered over her.

His free hand came to a rest on her cheek, his thumb caressed her smooth skin softly. "I love you, Mrs. Blake Parry. I love you so much. You'll be a great mother."

A soft film of tears formed in her eyes as she listened to the tenderness, happiness and love that filled Pogue's voice. Her heart swelled as she stared into his eyes. "You'll be an amazing father. And our…" She was going to say little girl but instead said, "Our child will be lucky to have a father like you. And I love you too, Mr. Parry."

Pogue grabbed her face in between his hands and kissed her lips long and passionate, yet gently and tender at the same time. When the kiss ended, Blake took a few deep breaths to steady herself.

"Maybe I can give the girls a rain check," she said breathlessly, leaning into Pogue's body. He laughed and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"The girls would be pissed if you didn't tell them that you're expecting," he pointed out as he led her to the front door and helped her into her jacket. "That we are expecting our first son."

Blake raised her eyebrow at him.

"Okay, okay our first _child_," Pogue corrected himself, holding up his hands in surrender under Blake's gaze. "Now go before you're late."

"Alright, I'll see you later." She kissed him goodbye then headed down the hallway. When she was about to get onto the elevator that would carry her down to the lobby, she glanced over her shoulder to see Pogue staring at her with a smile on his face. As she stepped onto the elevator, she gave Pogue a quick wink.

* * *

"Oh my God!" Paige yelled happily, bringing most of the restaurants attention to the table where she, Rylee, Blake and River sat. "You're pregnant?"

Blake grinned and nodded her head, her blonde hair bouncing with each nod. "Yeah! I just found out like two hours ago. I think I'm about two and a half or three months."

"That's so awesome, Blake!" Rylee congratulated her best friend with a warm hug.

"So, yours and Paige's children will only be a few months apart," River pointed out, looking between Paige and Blake. "That will be so cool!"

Paige placed a hand on her stomach, where her child of four months was growing, and growing fast. A few weeks ago, her and Reid had agreed that they wanted the sex of the baby to be a surprise. "Two down, two to go." She winked at River and Rylee.

The young brunette laughed and rolled her eyes while River smiled weakly and kept silent. Blake's mouth fell open.

"Oh my God. River, are you pregnant?" she asked as Paige and Rylee's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, no!" River said, then shifted in her seat, uncomfortable under their gazes. "No, not yet, anyways." She glanced at her three friends and smiled. "I had a vision."

Blake clapped her hands excitedly, though she spoke in a whisper so the other's around them wouldn't hear. "Ohh! A vision! So, who's next?" She prompted, leaning in closer to her dark haired friend.

River glanced at Rylee then back to Blake and grinned. "Me."

"Damn it!" Rylee's shoulders dropped in a slump and jokingly said, "Am I always the freakin' last one to do everything?"

The others laughed and Paige patted Rylee's hand gently. "Well you were the first to get engaged and married."

Blake grinned at her younger friend. "Your child Mrs. Simms, will be the baby of the group. Tyler's the baby of the Sons of Ipswich, and you're the baby of our little gang. Baby boy and baby girl will have a baby child together!"

The four were thrown into a fit of giggles and laughter, causing everyone's eyes to return to them again. A young couple, not much older than the girls glared at them, giving them nasty looks. "Excuse me," the women said in a snobby, high-pitched voice. "Some of us are trying to enjoy our dinner."

Blake narrowed her eyes at the girl's back just as her waiter set down a hot plate in front of her that seemed to be on fire. It was a flaming meal that were so expensive and over priced. A smirk crossed over Blake's face as she stared at the red-orange flames.

"Blake?" Paige waved her hands in her view, trying to catch her attention. Blake hushed her and waved her hand away, keeping her focus on the flames. She let her bangs fall into her face, covering her eyes as they flashed purple, then called upon her power.

Over the past few years, the girls power had seemed to grow and become, if possible, stronger. River's animal senses had increased and she was now able to hear, smell, and see things for miles and miles around when she tapped into her powers. Rylee could always control and manipulate electricity, but now she could also control the lightening in the sky during storms. Paige's teleportation abilities had extended to being able to teleport objects to herself at will. Blake could now call to her power, control and manipulate fire at her will without the blue Bic lighter she's had for almost ten years.

Now, the flames that she concentrated on suddenly leapt higher and higher. The nasty women who was rude to Blake and her friends let out a shrill scream and jumped from her chair, falling right into the table behind her. With a muffled cry her face smashed onto a plate of a child's mashed potatoes and chicken.

The little kid started to cry over his ruined food as the manager of the restaurant came racing from the back and quickly started making apologies to the women, the child and everyone within ear shot.

Blake couldn't hold her breath any longer. Letting her eyes go back to their normal color, she tossed her head back and silently laughed, trying her hardest not to draw attention to herself and the others. She caught the eyes of her friends and had to suppress a new wave of laughter at the looks on their faces. River and Rylee's faces were red from laughing while Paige's shoulders shook with hidden chuckles.

After quickly grabbing their bill for dinner, the four walked outside in the chilly winter night air. Rylee shivered inside her jacket and wished that the season would hurry up and bring spring soon.

"Son of a bitch, I can't wait until warm weather!" Paige complained, pulling her own jacket tightly around herself and her belly. "Oops, sorry sweetie. Mommy didn't mean to curse."

Blake looked at Paige from the corner of her eye and grinned.

"What?" Paige asked when she noticed her staring. "You will start talking to your own stomach soon. Trust me."

* * *

5 months later:

"Honey," Pogue heard Blake call from their bedroom. He set down the kitchen towels that Blake had given to him to put away onto the counter and headed towards his wife. A short chuckle escaped him as he looked at the sight before him.

Blake was bent over with her legs spread apart, squatting low to the ground trying desperately to pick up a shirt she had dropped while putting laundry away. "A little help here," she said when she saw Pogue standing in the doorway.

Pogue walked further into the room, bent down with ease and grabbed the shirt. "Here you go, Prego," he teased, handing her the piece of clothing.

Blake narrowed her eyes slightly, though she knew he was kidding. "Being almost eight months pregnant is rough," she said grumpily as she put the rest of the clean laundry in its place.

"Yeah I can see why." Pogue laughed and placed a hand on Blake's bulging stomach. "At least you're not as big as Paige is." Blake's eyes widened and she put her own hand on top of Pogue's hand on her belly.

"Good point," she replied as she thought about how massive Paige's belly was. Her blue eyed friend seemed as if she would explode at any moment. Thankfully, Paige was due any day now. "Then again, I still have a month to go."

Pogue grinned sympathetically and kissed his wife's temple. "You need anymore help with anything?" he asked, making sure she didn't need him to do anything else. She shook her head.

"No, you're free to go." She smiled and kissed his cheek, excusing him from the room.

As Pogue walked down the hallway he heard the basket that Blake had picked up drop to the floor with a loud thud.

"Pogue!" Blake cried suddenly. Worry immediately swam through Pogue's body at the fear and pain that had laced itself in his wife's voice.

He bolted back to the room to see Blake sitting on the edge of the bed, clutching at her stomach. She cried out in pain. "Something's wrong!" she managed to say between gritted teeth. Tears filled her eyes.

Pogue dropped to his knees in front of her, his hands flying over her body, trying unsuccessfully to find the cause of her pain. "What's wrong, Blake?" he tried to sound calm, but the panic he was feeling threatened to burst through his cool demeanor.

Another cry of agony escaped her making her clutch her stomach tighter as if it would stop the hurt. "The baby! Something's wrong with the baby!"

Quickly deciding that she needed to see a doctor, Pogue scooped Blake up in his strong arms and let his eyes bleed black, the color of midnight. They stood in the middle of their bedroom but within a few seconds they were in the parking lot of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He hurried into a run, careful not to shake Blake, burst through the front doors of the Emergency Room.

"Someone help!" he called out and was relieved when a man in a long white jacket rushed forward.

"What's happened?" the man with sandy blonde hair asked, motioning for Pogue to follow him through a pair of doors.

"It's my wife. S-something's wrong. She was fine one minute then she just started screaming in pain," Pogue said in a rush, hoping to God that everything was going to be okay.

"How far along in the pregnancy is she?" the doctor asked as he opened yet another door and hurried into the room. He pointed to a single hospital bed that sat in between a heart monitor and a night stand. "Lay her down there."

Pogue did as he was told. "Almost 8 months," he said. Two nurses rushed into the room after the doctor had called out into the hallway for assistance.

Only minutes had passed before the black haired nurse turned to him. "She's having the baby, Mr.…?

"Parry," Pogue answered, his eyes on his crying wife. "She can't be having the baby yet, can she? Isn't it too early?

The nurse nodded once. "Your wife has gone into pre-mature labor."

"Will she be okay?" he asked, suddenly wishing his friends were there with him. The nurse opened her mouth to respond when Blake's scream interrupted her.

"Get him out of here!" the doctor yelled to the dark haired nurse and she led him from the room, closing the door behind her. Blake's cries were cut off, the strange silence left ringing in his ears.

"Sir, your wife will be fine. The doctor will give her something to ease the pain shortly. Meanwhile, is there anyone you should call or get a hold of?"

Pogue nodded stiffly and went to the waiting room, pulling his cell phone from the pocket of his jeans. He dialed Caleb's number first and was glad when he picked up on the second ring.

"_Hey man, what's up?" _Came Caleb's voice. Pogue could hear River chatting in the background.

"Caleb, Blake's in the hospital," Pogue said as he sat down in one of the many chairs.

"_What? Is she okay?" _From what he could hear, the phone had been handed to someone else. _"Hey Pogue, are you okay? Caleb went to get the car started, so we'll be on our way soon Just hang on, everything will be okay." _

Pogue smiled at River's calm persona of most things and was thankful how comforting she could be. But even with her comforting words, he couldn't get his wife's scream out of his head. Tears pooled in his eyes. "It's the baby. Something's wrong with the baby."

"_Oh," _River replied in a small voice, seeming shocked by the news. _"Sit tight, honey. We're on our way. I'll call the others and let them know." _

With that, their conversation ended, leaving Pogue waiting until his friends arrived.

* * *

Five hours later, the waiting area seemed to be packed of the friends and close family members of Blake. Her dad and Sienna sat patiently with Pogue's father, Penn. Kassandra, Demi, Madison, Mary, Terrance and Rylee's parents occupied the seats next to them, talking quietly among themselves. A very pregnant Paige stood in Reid's arms talking with Rylee, Tyler, Caleb, Tony, Evelyn and River.

Blake, River and Rylee's parents lived across the country in Los Angeles, California. They arrived faster than any train, plane, or automobile. Though Paige had insisted that she teleport and get each of the couples, Reid and the other's absolutely refused, saying that she was too pregnant and too close to her due date to be teleporting. So Tyler, Reid, and Caleb did the retrieving instead.

A few hours ago, the doctor had said that the baby would be one month pre-mature and that they wouldn't know until after the baby was born to know what was wrong.

In the room, Pogue stood next to his wife, holding her hand. The doctor sat down in front of the bed with his mask over his face and glove on his hands. "Okay, the baby is in the birth canal so you need to start pushing when I say. Do you understand?"

Blake bit her lip and nodded at the doctor. She glanced at the two nurses that stood ready and waiting to clean up the hopefully healthy baby. Her gaze landed on her husband who stood at her side and Blake blinked back tears at the look on his face. "I don't want anything to happen to our baby."

Pogue bent down low to her ear and kissed the side of her head. "Everything will be fine, baby."

"Alright Blake, I need you to push!" Building up the energy and strength she needed, Blake scrunched her face in concentration, focusing on only the baby.

A scream ripped from her throat as the pain shot through her body, causing her to squeeze Pogue's hand with all of her strength. Her husband buckled under the pressure. "Ow, ow, ow honey." Pogue tried to pull his hand away but the gesture caused Blake to only squeeze harder, making him lock his jaw to stop from crying out.

"You think you're in pain!" Blake shouted. "Try having a baby!" Her voice grew with each word as she pushed with all of her might.

"I see a head! Blake push!" the doctor encouraged.

Blake's screams became longer as she tried to fight the pain and focus on the baby. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" she cried, making Pogue laugh a little though he made sure Blake did not see or hear. He knew she didn't mean it at all but with all the pain she seemed to be in, he hated himself.

"One more push!" the doctor said with a smile. "You're doing great, Blake. Push!"

Blake's eyes narrowed at him. "SHUT UP! I AM PUSHING!" she shouted as she gave one more good push before falling back onto the hospital bed, panting. The sound of a baby's cry broke the anger and frustration that was within Blake's chest.

Pogue leaned forward catching her attention. "You did amazing, baby. I'm so proud of you." His lips gently touched her sweaty forehead and she gave him a weak smile in return.

"I don't hate you."

Pogue laughed and kissed her again just as the two nurses made their way to the bed.

"Mr. and Mrs. Parry?"the freckle-face blonde said. "I'd like to introduce you to your beautiful, healthy baby." She stepped aside and allowed the second nurse to place a little bundle of blankets in Blake's arms.

Blake let out a soft gasp as she looked down at the beautiful buddle wrapped in a warm, soft blanket the color of pink. "Oh my God, a girl." She smiled and looked up at Pogue. "Pogue, a girl!"

"Wow," he said softly as he reached his hand to his newborn child. A single tear fell down his face as he stared at his daughter. "A girl. Oh my God, she's beautiful."

"She's a beautiful, healthy baby, sir," the doctor said with his kind smile still on his lips. "She's more healthy than I would have ever thought. She's very lucky." Pogue grinned at the man and shook his hand. "Thank you."

Blake's and the other parents were the first to be allowed to see the new born member of the Covenant and were shocked and surprised to see that it was a girl.

"That's never happened before in the history of the Covenant!" Pogue's dad, Penn said.

"Yeah, I know. But we didn't marry just any normal girls," Pogue said, using Blake's words from months ago. "Just like us, they aren't normal. So with that much abnormality something was bound to change. And my little girl is living proof."

Demi stepped forward cutting off the next words of Penn Parry. "This discussion will be held at another time and another place. Right now I believe that Blake needs rest, and I know she wants the others to see this wonderful miracle."

With kisses goodbye and congratulations, the parents departed. All smiling and whispering excitedly.

Blake and Pogue could hear the soft chatter of their friends as the door opened and River, Rylee, Tyler, Paige, Reid and Caleb stepped inside. Tyler's jaw dropped as he noticed the color of the blanket. "Dude."

Caleb had noticed it too and quickly looked to Pogue. "A girl?"

"No shit," Reid said in surprise with an eyebrow raised. "That puts a twist in the Covenant history."

Pogue grinned madly. "Yeah, I know. My little girl is special," he said excitedly as the others gathered close around the bed. Paige waddled up to Blake and placed a kiss on her cheek. "She's beautiful, Blake!"

"Wow," Caleb and Tyler said together, both smiling as the baby started to wiggle its tiny body. "She's so tiny," Tyler pointed out.

Caleb walked closer to the bed. He grinned down at the newborn baby girl. "She's something."

After a half an hour, one of the nurses bustled in saying that visiting hours were over. "She and the baby need their sleep."

Everyone said their goodbyes and promised to visit the next day. As Paige waddled out of the room hand in hand with Reid, Blake said teasingly, "Don't pop, fatty."

Paige grinned and patted her belly gently. "Actually, I hope I do pop soon. Tomorrow would be lovely."

* * *

It was very early in the morning when the soft cries of her baby woke Blake from a light sleep. Her eyelids opened heavily and noticed the bright moon carried a light into the hospital room. At edge of her bed, where the baby was placed in a smaller bed full of blankets, she saw Pogue standing over it, cooing quietly.

"Shh, darling," he whispered as he picked her up and started rocking her back and forth in his strong arms. "You'll wake mommy."

Blake's heart swelled as she watched her husband slowly settle the baby, his face as tender and loving as his gaze. He lifted his arms, leaned down and placed a very tender kiss on his daughter's tiny nose. "Daddy's got you."

"I can already tell you're going to spoil her like crazy," Blake whispered so she didn't scare either of the two. Pogue turned his head and smiled as he walked to her bed, still rocking the baby even though she had fallen back asleep. "She's already got you wrapped around her finger."

Pogue grinned and gently shrugged his shoulders. "Well, her mom already has me wrapped around her finger, so why can't she?"

Blake smiled back. "Good point."

"You know," Pogue started. "I've always wanted a girl." He laughed when both of Blake's eyebrows shot up close to her hair line. "Honest. I just never thought it would be possible since the Covenant has only had sons for the past….well, forever generations."

Blake nodded her head in understanding and placed a warm hand on his arm. "She's going to love you. I know this, cause I love you."

Pogue kissed her lips softly and gazed lovingly into her eyes. "I love you, too. Every day since I've met you, you've made me the happiest man alive. And today has only made my life better because you've made me a father. We are the parents of the first girl in the history of the Covenant."

"I can already feel it," Blake said, touching her daughters cheek lightly. "Our little girl is going to be very special."


	36. Chapter 36: The Ending

Ch. 36

After the birth of Pogue and Blake's healthy baby girl, the doctor insisted that the child and her mother stay in the hospital for a few days.

On the third and last day, the happy parents of the first Daughter of the Covenant decided to name her Peyton Brianna Parry. It was Blake's idea that their daughter have the first letters of each of her parents name. P from Pogue and B from Blake.

The day after Blake and Peyton Brianna Parry were released from the hospital, Paige had gone into labor, and eight long hours later, she gave birth. For the second time in less than a week, it was shock and surprise that settled over the family and friends.

With a state of pure astonishment on her face, Demi stepped forward to stand beside the happy mother. "First a baby girl breaks the Covenant's normality, now another miracle has happened. For the first time in the history of the Covenant, we do not only have a girl born among the Sons, but twins as well."

Paige smiled a tired smile as she held her healthy newborn son in her arms. Next to her, Reid tenderly held his son's twin sister. "Paige and Blake were right," Reid said to all who was crammed into the hospital room. "We didn't marry just anyone. The next generation of the Covenant will be extremely special and blessed. Won't you, my little Rae."

"Rae? You've decided on names?" Kassandra asked excitedly from next to her best friend, Demi.

Reid grinned, looking down at his daughter in his arms. "Meet Rae Patience and Rome Parker Garwin."

Paige and Reid had settled on having two names ready in the chance that the baby would be either a girl or a boy. They did not expect to have to use both names. They had decided, like Blake and Pogue had, to use both first letters from their names. Rae or Rome for a first name, and Patience or Parker for the middle.

"Twins." Paige yawned once her and her husband were alone. "I have a feeling Rae will be just like you."

Reid shook his head looking down at his daughter. "Hell, no. She better not be like me."

* * *

By the time the twins and Peyton had turned a year old, River and Caleb's son, Cameron Ryann Danvers was five months old while Tyler's and Rylee's son, Tristan Ryce Simms was only two months old.

"Mom, we're here!" Tyler called through the large house for his mother. He placed his hand on the small of his wife's back and guided her into the house. Her hands were wrapped around the bundle she held in her arms.

"Oh, my little grandson!" Madison rushed down the stairs, a large smile on her face. Her husband Terrance entered the room from his study down the hall. Immediately her arms flung out and gently took her three month old grandson from her daughter-in-law. "Hello, Tristan."

Terrance greeted his son with a hug and kissed Rylee on the cheek. "How was the drive?"

"Not bad," Tyler answered as he walked with his father to the living room. Madison and Rylee joined them seconds later.

When Rylee took a seat next to her husband, she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. Tyler turned his blue eyes to her and smiled before addressing his parents. "You look happy to see your grandson."

Madison looked up from the baby she held in her arms. "Of course, we are. Though sometimes I wish you lived closer so we could see him more often."

"Well," Rylee started with a grin after she had both Madison and her father-in-law's attention. "Then I think you'll like our news. We've decided to move back to Ipswich."

"Actually, we all have," Tyler said talking about Caleb, River and the others. "There's a new neighborhood only a year old, and it's not far town. It looks like a nice place for the next Covenant generation."

Madison nearly started to cry with happiness. "Tyler, honey! That's such wonderful news! Terrance, isn't it wonderful?"

Terrance beamed at his wife and nodded. "Quite good news, darling. It's good for a family to be so close. And it'll be nice for the kids to grow up together, just like you and the boys."

Tyler grinned, thinking of all the memories he shared with his friends while growing up. "That's one of the reasons we've decided to come back. Blake and Pogue are looking at houses as we speak."

"There's this one that Blake as her heart set on. It's beautiful. It's got this amazing wrap around porch. I have my eye on a specific one too."

"You think you could watch him for a while?" Tyler asked as he stood, pulling Rylee up with him. "We don't want anyone to snatch our favorite house."

With a smile, Madison looked down at her grandson. "Take your time."

* * *

Eleven years later:

"Ha! I win!" said a young brunette girl the age of 11 as she raced into the Simms Manor in Ipswich, Massachusetts. A large grin was set on her face as she turned to face the two boys who ran in behind her seconds later. Her green eyes, so much like her fathers, landed on the pair and wanted to laugh when she saw they were hunched over, trying hard to catch their breaths.

The dark eyed, dark haired boy stepped forward, frowning. "Yeah Peyton, but only cause we let you win," he said, striding past her and further into the kitchen in the direction of the living room.

"Don't be a sore loser, Cameron," Peyton teased while still grinning as she fell instep with the unhappy boy. "Just because you got beat by a girl, doesn't mean anything. Well, actually it does. It means you suck."

The second boy who walked a few paces behind them, burst out in laughter and tried to pass it off as a cough.

"Shut it, Tristan," Cameron snapped at his younger friend. "She beat you, too."

"Yeah, cause she's really fast," Tristan replied, not phased at all that Peyton had beaten them both at a race. She always won them. The azure eyes that he inherited from his father showed the amusement he felt. Cameron rolled his eyes and ignored his two friends, acting like their laughter didn't bother him.

As they passed the front door, it opened and Peyton's grin grew.

"Rae!" she said excitedly as a young girl with nearly white blond hair and crystal blue eyes pushed passed her parents. After pulling away from Rae, Peyton turned to the two adults that stood before her. "Hey, Aunt Paige! Hey, Uncle Reid!"

"Hey, Peyton." Paige leaned down and kissed the girl on her cheek then made to move toward Tristan and Cameron to give them a kiss as well. The two boys jumped back quickly, making sure they were far out of reach.

Paige laughed and shook her head. "You don't want a kiss?" she teased as she stood up straight. "Girls still have cooties, don't they?"

Reid wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and pulled her closer. "Good, more kisses for me," he said to the boys and chuckled when his lips meeting Paige's made the two boys squirm.

"Bleh," Cameron shivered while Tristan pretended to gag. "Where's Rome?" he asked, peaking out the door for his friend.

"Outside still," Reid answered him and leaned down so his face was level with the two boys. "We brought our Super Soaker water guns."

"Awesome!" the two boys yelled together and raced outside, Rae and Peyton right on their heels.

Paige laughed and headed to the living room, knowing that's where the rest of the parents would be. As she walked with Reid she heard the familiar sound of laughter from her friends. She smiled as she stepped into the room, catching the end of a sentence that Tyler was finishing. "-time River attacked Caleb?"

River grinned sheepishly and cuddled closer to Caleb, whose arms were around her. "That was a one-time thing."

Caleb grinned. "Well, what about last night? You pretty much ripped off my-" River's hand clapped itself over her husband's mouth, a bright pink shade formed on her cheeks as the others burst into laughter, including Reid and Paige.

"That was such a Reid thing to say, Caleb," Paige said, catching the attention of their friends.

"Oh, hey guys!" Rylee greeted happily. Even after so many years of being a mother, Rylee still had the heart of a child, her bubbly personality still glowed as bright as ever.

"When did you get here?" Tyler asked from his place next to his wife on the plush couch.

"Just now, baby boy," Reid answered, bumping fists with the other Sons of Ipswich just like they did when they were in high school.

Pogue grinned at his friend as he peaked out the window. "Did you seriously drive here? You live four houses down, lazy ass."

"The kids didn't want to walk," Reid explained, jamming his thumb in the direction of where he heard the kids. "They said it was too hot."

Pogue rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Where are trouble one and trouble two anyways?"

As if on cue, five kids ran into the room, all armed with large water guns.

The tallest one, a boy with crystal blue eyes and blond hair darker than his sister's stepped forward. "We challenge the grown-ups to a duel. The choice of weapons are water guns," Rome Garwin said in a mock superior tone, sounding like a military commander. Acting as his second in command, the oldest of the group stepped forward.

With a smirk Peyton eyed her father. "Do you accept the challenge?" Peyton asked, sounding much older than an 11-year old.

"You're ammunition and weapons are in the back on the patio table." Tristan jerked his head to the back, holding his stance next to Cameron.

The four Sons shared looks before addressing their children. With a grin, Tyler stood, Reid and Caleb followed his lead. Pogue walked to stand in front of his daughter, he squatted down to her level. "We accept. We'll give you a ten second head start."

From behind Peyton, Rae said, "We don't need a head start." With the others right behind her, she led the way into the back yard.

River rolled her eyes at her husband as he grinned like a child and ran after the kids with Tyler, Reid and Pogue right behind him.

"Did we marry children?" she laughed.

"We're really glad you decided to move back to Ipswich, Paige," River said thoughtfully with a smile. "Cameron is really happy his little gang's back together, even though he won't say it."

"And I know Peyton is more than ecstatic that Rae is closer to her. She loves hanging with the guys but she needs another girl to hang out with." Blake grinned as they moved to the patio in the back yard and took seats at the table. From there they could see Reid running from Cameron and Rome, laughing as the boys gained on him, soon dousing him with water.

Closer to them, Tyler and Pogue had Peyton cornered against the side of the house, she giggled as the water hit her, soaking her once dry t-shirt and shorts. "I need back up!" she yelled through her laughter after dropping her water gun so she could use her hands as a shield.

As sly as a panther, Tristan slowly moved closer to his trapped comrade. Just when he aimed the water gun at his fathers back, Caleb jumped out of the trees next to him and gave a war cry before shooting him. Once the water hit the blue-eyed boy in the side, he dramatically fell to the ground. "I'm hit! Man down! Man down!"

From the patio deck, Rylee laughed at her son's theatrics as he acted out a long, painfully fake death scene. When Caleb and Pogue's attention was on Tristan, Peyton ran from her spot and towards Rae. Cameron and Rome raced to watch Tristan's fake death.

Rae rolled her crystal blue eyes and turned to Peyton. "He is so weird."

After the game had ended, Rome led the group of kids up the stairs to the deck. "Who won?" Blake asked as Peyton climbed onto her lap, not caring that her daughter was soaking wet.

"It was a draw," Cameron answered for her from next to his mother. He hated losing so he would rather settle for a tie than a loss. Tristan and Rome nodded their heads in agreement as Caleb, Pogue and Tyler climbed up the stairs, all looking worn out.

Paige raised an eyebrow when she noticed someone missing. "Where's my husband?" she asked, her blue eyes scanning the yard. A loud bark of laughter escaped her as she spotted the white blonde hair of Reid. He was lying face down in the grass exactly where Rome and Cameron had knocked him to the ground. "Rome, honey go get your dad."

Rome jogged out to his dad who lay motionless on the ground. When he approached his father he dropped to his knees and pushed Reid, trying to get him to flip over on his side. The 11-year old jumped in surprise when his fathers arms wrapped around him and pulled him close, causing him to laugh in fits as he was tickled. Rae jumped off the deck and raced to her brothers aid, her hair blowing in the wind as she ran.

Paige smiled warmly at the sight of Reid laughing and playing with his children. From where she sat, she could see the love he felt for them in his eyes. Before her and Reid started dating, she remembered very clearly when he said he wasn't the commitment type. And even when he vowed he loved her, he still told her he was probably going to make a lot of mistakes. But as she looked at him now, as he played and laughed with his two children, she knew he had never been afraid of commitment. He just needed some encouragement, and that was exactly what Paige had done. Reid had turned into an amazing man, though Paige thought he had always been amazing from the start, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

Every single one of the Sons of Ipswich were the most amazing guys anyone could ask for. Besides being totally drop dead gorgeous, they were sweet, genuine, loyal and trustworthy. And to top it off, they had personalities every girl dreamed of and smiles that could melt any woman's heart. The four girls knew that they had gotten extremely lucky with capturing the heart of the four, but then again luck had nothing to do with it. It was fate.

* * *

Dinner was delicious. Caleb grilled steak and chicken while Rylee and Blake made mashed potatoes and a salad. With the remaining light in the sky, Pogue, Caleb and Tyler gathered sticks and branches from around the yard for the bonfire that Reid had began to start. The kids waited patiently, talking to River while Paige brought graham crackers, Hershey's chocolate, and marshmallows to make s'mores. Tyler and Rylee were cleaning up from dinner.

In the kitchen, Rylee handed Tyler the last plate to put away. As he dried it, Tyler stared at his wife watching her pull her short brown hair away from her face.

As if she could feel his eyes on her, Rylee turned her head. "What?"

Tyler shrugged and remained silent for a while longer. "I'm just happy." He placed the plate in the cabinet then faced his wife again. "I'm happy about everything." His tanned arms snaked around her waist and pulled her to him.

"Explain," she said with a smile still on her lips as she rested her hands on his chest.

"I have you, the greatest woman in the world as a wife, the best friends a guy could ask for," he kissed her nose gently before resting his forehead against hers. "And I have the most beautiful child ever. I have the life only people dream of."

"Have I ever told you that you're my prince?" Rylee said happily from within his arms. "My knight in shining armor."

"I would rescue you any day, my princess." He took his hand and lifted Rylee's chin so he could kiss her lips. His finger's intertwined with hers as he led her to the back deck to see the bonfire had already started. They took a seat next to Blake and Pogue who greeted them with a smile.

"S'more?" Caleb handed Rylee the ingredients and a stick so she could roast marshmallows on. On the other side of the fire, Peyton and Rae were chatting and laughing to themselves.

Tristan eyed Rae and Peyton, with their heads bent close together and watched them giggle like crazy. "What are you girls talking about?"

Rae looked over her shoulder at him. A smirk identical to her father's formed on her lips. "Boys," she said then was thrown into a fits of giggles while Peyton rolled her eyes but ended up joining in the laughter. Though she was only 11-years old, Rae had already developed a fascination with the opposite sex. Reid wasn't fond of that fact at all.

Cameron rolled his eyes as if girls his age didn't capture his attention once in a while. The girls in his school swooned over his award winning smile his father had passed down to him. And the warm, dark chocolate eyes his mother gave him made it even more difficult for the girls not to stare.

Blake had to admit, all of their children were very good-looking. Her daughter had her soft, smooth complexion and her fathers mysterious eyes. The ones that had lured Blake so quickly the night she had met Pogue. She was very proud of her daughter as well. Good grades in school, nice and polite, and very tolerable when it comes to the guys.

Tristan was not shy like his father was when he was younger. In fact, he was more like his mother. Very energetic. Though unlike both of his parents, Tristan thrived to be the center of attention, he loved when all eyes were on him. Not that he was conceited or anything but he liked to stand out in a crowd.

Grinning at his sister, Rome threw a marshmallow at her. "You were talking about Cameron, weren't you?"

"No," she said quickly before turning around back to Peyton who in defense of her best friend, threw a whole s'more, melted chocolate and all at Rome's head. The marshmallow stuck in his blonde hair.

"Whoops," was all she said when Rome glared at her.

Pogue had watched the entire thing and fought the urge to laugh. "Peyton Brianna don't do that again," he warned though his warning was softer than it should have been. Peyton grinned sheepishly at her father before continuing her conversation with Rae. Next to them, Cameron and Tristan tried to stifle their laughter as Rome fought to pick the gooey remnants of the s'more out of his hair.

His attention was quickly averted to his wife when her hand found it's place in his thigh. "I love you," she said as she placed a kiss on his lips. She had watched him try to scold their daughter but Peyton had Pogue wrapped so tight around her finger that he couldn't even punish her even when he tried.

"I love you, too," Pogue spoke softly, bringing his lips to hers once more. The woman who sat before him gave him the world, and she did so without spending a single dollar. She gave him life, a life with no curse. A life without fear of wondering if he'd live long enough to see his children grow up and have children of their own. She gave him unconditional love. These people sitting around the fire with him were all he needed in life. Sure wealth was a plus too, but if he didn't have Blake, Peyton or his friends he wouldn't see life worth living.

"How lucky are we that there just happened to be four houses conveniently in the same neighborhood?" came Rylee's voice, bringing Pogue back to Earth and out of his thoughts. "I mean, it worked out perfectly."

Paige smiled, completely agreeing. "I know, how long was our house up for sale?" she asked Blake, since her and Pogue had been living in the neighborhood the longest.

"A year, I think," she answered. "This is pretty much a brand new neighborhood when we bought ours. They're very nice houses, in a great neighborhood and only about ten minutes from town. I'm surprised they weren't bought up as soon as they were built."

"Well, we're extremely lucky," Paige said, grabbing Reid's hands in hers. "The kids get to grow up together like you guys did."

"That's the plan." Caleb grinned. "Let's just hope they can get along as well as we did," he said sarcastically but with a smile, his eyes on Reid. Reid smirked at him in return. Though they were more than fine now, in high school they didn't get along. They butted heads way too often, causing a small wall of separation to form between them. But after the Chase incident and the arriving of Paige and the girls, the wall had been taken down.

Blake smiled and looked in the direction of their children. "I don't think we'll have a problem with that."

Everyone's eyes followed her gaze. On the other side of the fire, Cameron, Peyton, Tristan, and the twins were laughing and joking with each other. The small conflict involving marshmallows and chocolate forgotten. Feeling eyes on them, the five kids turned to see their parents staring at them.

"What?" they said in unison, sounding like quintuplets. They shared looks before bursting into laughter at saying the same word, at the exact same time, in the same tone.

"Okay, that was really weird," Rae said once the laughter faded. "I thought me and Rome only did the whole talkin' at the same time thing."

Rome grinned at his sister. "Guess we were wrong," he said before a yawn threatened to escape him.

"Tired buddy?" Reid called to his son. Rome shook his head just as the yawn passed his lips. "Yeah, I bet you're not." He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket, seeing it was way past midnight. "I think we should head out and get the twins to bed."

"Alright, children I gave birth to," Paige called, laughing when her twins gave her the stop-embarrassing-me face. "Time to go home." With groans, Rae and Rome reluctantly said bye to their friends and then to their Aunt's and Uncle's.

"Yeah we should be going too." Blake stood motioning for Peyton to come to her. After their goodbyes, Peyton, Rome and Rae walked with their parents around the side of the house, through the gate and out to the driveway.

"Bye Peyton!" Rae called from the back seat of her mother's Hyundai Santa Fe. The twins waved back as they drove four houses down. Peyton grabbed both of her parents hands and walked to the house that sat right next door.

"Alright, sweetie you need to get ready for bed," Blake said as she walked with her daughter up the long half-circle staircase that led to the second floor.

After she brushed her teeth and put on pajamas, Peyton crawled into her bed and curled underneath the purple down comforter. There was a knock on the door as her head hit the pillow. Pogue and Blake walked in to tuck her into bed just like they had been doing every night since she was born.

Though she was old enough to tuck herself in, Peyton loved having her parents do it. Blake kissed her daughter's forehead and pushed back the brown hair from her face. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you too." Peyton grinned at her mother as she stepped aside to let Pogue say goodnight. Pogue sat down on the bed and leaned forward to place a kiss on her cheek. "I love you my little girl. Good night."

Peyton sat up and kissed her father's cheek before lying back down. "I love you too, daddy." Her parents walked to the door, shut off the light and closed the door just as Peyton shut her eyes to sleep.

As Pogue and Blake walked to their room at the end of the hallway, several rooms down from their daughters, they passed four picture frames that hung on the wall.

The first one was one of Paige, Caleb, Reid, Tyler and Pogue the summer before Paige left for California. Tyler and Pogue had their arms around Paige's shoulder and she had hers around their waists. Caleb stood behind the three resting his face close the Paige's while Reid stood a little off to the side. All had smiles on their faces, even Reid. Their eyes were full of happiness and innocence.

Standing in the second frame were four girls at the age of fifteen. Rylee, Paige, River and Blake were sitting outside on the back porch at River's house. Their arms wrapped around each other in a tangled mess, their eyes cross eyed with tongues sticking out of their mouths goofily. It was Blake's favorite picture of her and her best friends.

The next picture was taken right before the day of their senior graduation. The eight of them were paired off and were wearing their cabs and gowns. The excitement for their future shown brightly in their eyes.

The third and last picture was everyone's favorite. In it, five children sat on a large couch. Three boys and two girls all around the age of six. Rae and Peyton were hugging each other so hard that it seemed as if they were trying to squeeze the life out of the other, the boys sat next to them with their arms around each others shoulders. Rome, Cameron and Tristan were hamming it up for the camera, grinning from ear to ear showing all the teeth that they had.

This picture symbolized the future. It showed the next generation of the Covenant. The Sons and Daughters of Ipswich.

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_** Okay so I was going to leave some sort of a cliff hanger but I'll just wait to do that in the sequel. Oh. Wait? Did I just say sequel? Why, yes. Yes, I did! If you haven't guessed already I have decided to write a sequel to Four by Four. That is…if you want a sequel. =)

If you do it will focus more on the kids this time but Paige, Rylee, Blake and River will not be shoved aside…No, they will play a big part in the next one. I want them to be involved cause they are like my babies. Ha, and of course the Sons will be in it as well!


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